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Special  Features:  Telecomputing  On  VIC  &  64 


COMPUTE'S 


S2.00 

September  1983 
Issue  3  Vol.1,  No.  3 

63380     S2  50  in  Canada 


For  Owners  And  Users  Of  Commodore  VIC-20  And  64*  Personal  Computers 


POTHOLES 

A  game  of  skill 
and  action  for 
the  VIC  and  64 


Only  the  very  best 
drivers  can  maneuver 
their  car  through  the 
potholed  streets  while 
being  chased  by  the 
relentless  Street 
Commissioner. 


News  From  The  Summer 
Consumer  Electronics  Show: 
More  Software,  Lower  Prices 

How  To  Use  Function  Keys 

By  themselves,  they 
do  nothing.  But  they 
can  be  made  to  do 
almost  anything - 
with  a  few  simple 
programming  tech- 
niques. Here's  how 
to  put  those  four  spe- 
cial function  keys  for 
VIC  and  64  to  work. 


2  Great  Games 

In  This  Issue! 

Illlllllllllllll 

F 

09 

0 

"7447o"63: 

!8o'" 

III 

States  And 
Capitals  Tutor: 

A  Complete  Educational  Program  For 
Youngsters  -  VIC-20  And  64  Versions 

Is  Bangor  the  capital  of 
Maine?  Or  is  it  Augusta? 
Then  again,  Augusta  could 
be  the  capital  of  South 
Carolina. ..or  is  that  Colum- 
bia? With  "States  &  Capi- 
tals Tutor"  you  can  learn  to 
be  sure. 


Also  In  This  issue 

Inside  View:  The 
Programmer  Behind 
Temple  ofApshai 

Simple  Answers  To 
Common  Questions 

HOTWARE:  This 
Month's  Best  SeSlers 

Machine  Language 
For  Beginners 


Braderbund 

AffiERICfl  S  FAVORITE 
COlUPUTER  GRIDES 


And  for  VIG-20  owners,  too. 


Now  for  the  Commodore  64 

CHOPLIFTER!"  It's  the 
best  selling  game  ever  for  the 
Apple.  In  its  Atari  400/800 
version,  it  zoomed  to  the  top 
of  the  charts.  Now  CHOP- 
LI  FTER!,M  is  available  for 
the  Commodore  64. 
Your  challenge  is  to  rescue 
.  peace-conference  delegates 
held  hostage  behind  enemy 
lines.  Amid  heavy  fire  from 
tanks,  missiles  and  planes,  you  heroically  maneu- 
ver your  daredevil  chopper.  You'll  need  all  your 
courage  and  skill  to  survive  against  treacherous 
odds.  The  game's  remarkable  graphics  and  realistic 
joystick  control  won't  let  you  give  up.  After  all.  world 
peace  rests  in  your  hands! 
Ask  your  nearest  Braderbund  dealer 
for  a  sneak  preview  of  Choplifter!™  and  our 
other  Commodore  64  games;  David's 
Midnight  Magic,'"  Scafox,iv  and  JF 

Serpentine,'" 


A.E.™  A  runaway  best-seller  for  the 

Apple  II  and  the  Atari  400/800,  is  a 

winner  for  VIC-20. 

Giant  robot  stingrays  designed  to 

fight  pollution  have  run  amok  and 

are  attacking  in  waves  from  the  sky. 

A.E.™  ("stingray"  in  Japanese)  is  a  graphic 

masterpiece,  with  screen  after  screen  of 
spectacular  3-D  effects.  The  arcade-style  action  is  masterful  too,  as  you  launch 
your  remotely-triggered  missiles  and  detonate  them  precisely  to  coincide 
with  the  swooping,  diving,  constantly  changing  flight  patterns  of  the  deadly  A.E.'s! 
Ask  your  nearest  Broderbund  dealer  for  a  sneak  preview  of  A.E.™  and  our 
other  VIC-20  games:  Martian  Raider,1"  Multi-Sound  Synthesizer,'"  Seafox ,™ 
Shark  Trap,™  and  Sky  Blazer™ 


3K 


tware 


Broderbund  Software    1936  Fourth  Street    San  Rafael,  CA  94901 


Atari,  Appto.  VIC-20,  Commodore  64  ami  IBM  PC.  are  registered 
trademark  &  ol  Atari,  inc.,  Apple  Computer  inc.,  Commodore 
Eftretronics,  Ltd.,  and  International  Business  Machines  Corp. 
reiptti 


'    :.I:l.',vii) 


19  01 


profe^ 


sion 


QiiaU^ 


Now  you  have  the  power  of  a 
professional  quality  Check  Register 
System.  Maintain  multiple  checking 
accounts,  complete  with  full  checkbook 
reconciliation  and  16  budget  categories. 
Change  or  delete  any  check,  check  or 
deposit  amount,  or  deduction  and 
CheckEase!  will  automatically  update 
all  balance  figures.  Review  checks 
forward,  backward  or  by  check 
number.  Configure  for  RS232  or 
compatable  Commodore  printer.  Post 
checks  as  they  clear  the  bank.  Upgrade 
data  from  cassette  to  disk.  Print  by 
check  number,  category  or  if  item  is  tax 
deductable.  Commodore  64  and  VIC-20 
users  can  even  save  months  worth  of 
check  data  in  a  format  compatable  with 
Commodore's  Persona/  Finance 
package  for  later  analyzation. 


$24.95  cassette  (VIC-20  min.  8K) 


$29.95  cassette:  Commodore  64, 
'Atari  400®/800®/1200  XL® 

$34.95  disk:  Commodore  64, 

Atari  400®/80Q®/1200  XL®, 
■  IBM  PC,    APPLE  U/flplus/IIe® 


ms 


»$&< 


teM» 


Available  at  finer  Software  Stores  everywhere.  Available  fourth  quarter  1983. 
Or  Call  (213)  501-5845  for  the  name  of  your  local  dealer  or  distributor. 


party  10902  Riverside  Drive/  North  Hollywood,  California  91602.  (213)501-5845 

'COPYRIGHT  1»H  BY  CMS  SYSTEMS.  CI  ECKEASE!  IS  A  TRADEMARK  OF  CMS  SYSTEMS  UCENCED  TO  T&F  SOFTWARE.  VIC  20  COMMODORE  frl   PFRSONAl 
PINANCE,  ATARI  -iOQ.i  ATARI  «X).  ATAR1LTO  XL.  APPLE  II,  AI'PLE  II  PI. I  IS.  APPLE  II  F.  AND  IBM  PC  ARE  REGISTERED  TRADEMARKS  OF  Tl  IEIR  RESPECTIVE  COMPANIES. 


SPINNAKERS  UNE  OF 

EARLY  LEARNING  GAMES 

IS  GROWING 

AS  FAST  AS  YOUR 

CHILD'S  MIND. 


Watching  your  kids  grow  up  is  a  lot  of  fun.  But 
making  sure  their  minds  grow  as  fast  as  their 
bodies  is  even  more  rewarding.  That's  where  we 
can  help.  With  a  growing  line  of  Early  Learning 
Programs  that  are  not  only  lots  of  fun  to  play,  but 
also  educational. 

Some  of  the  games  you  see  on  these  two  pages 
help  exercise  your  child's  creativity.  Others  help 
improve  vocabulary  and  spelling  skills.  While  others 


improve  your  child's  writing  and  reading  abilities. 
And  all  of  them  help  your  child  understand  how  to 
use  the  computer. 

So  if  you're  looking  for  computer  programs  that 
do  more  than  just  "babysit"  for  your  kids,  read  on. 
You'll  find  that  our  Early  Learning  Programs  are  not 
only  compatible  with  Apple1,"'  Atari*  IBM8  and 
Commodore  64™  computers,  but  also  with  kids 
who  like  to  have  fun. 


HEY  DIDDLE  DIDDLE™  Poetry  in  motion.  Ages  3  to  10. 


Kids  love  rhymes. 
And  since  HEY  DIDDLE 
DIDDLE  features  30  classic 
rhymes  with  full  color 
graphics  and  the  neatest 
computer  music  you've  ever 
heard,  it  makes  rhyme  games 
more  fun  than  ever  before. 
Plus,  it  makes  it  fun  for  kids  to  read,  helps  them 
understand  how  words  and  rhymes  create  poetry 
and  lets  them  take  fragmented  thoughts  and 
rearrange  them  to  form  coherent  verse. 


Apple,  IBM  and  Atari  aft  rrgsterecl  trademarks  of  Apple  Computer.  Inc..  international  Business  Marines  Corp.  and  Atari.  Inc.  [respectively 
Commodore  64  h  j  trademark  of  Commodore  Electronics  umltttl 


RHYMES  &  RIDDLES™  come  to  life.  Ages  5  to  9. 


RHYMES  &  RIDDLES 
will  delight  your  child- 
ren. Because  when 
they  successfully  com- 
plete the  rhymes, 
riddles,  and  famous 
sayings  on  the 
screen/they'll  see 
them  come  to  life- 


■with  music 


and  colorful  pictures. 
And  RHYMES  a  RIDDLES 
not  only  teaches  children 
the  correct  lyrics  to  nursery 
rhymes  and  famous  sayings. 
It  also  helps  kids  learn  to 
read  and  spell  while  they're 
having  fun!  That's  why 
parents  like  RHYMES  &  RIDDLES,  too! 


KINDERCOMR™  Numbers,  shapes,  letters,  words  and 
drawings  make  fun.  Ages  3  to  8 . 


KINDERCOMPis 
a  game  that  allows 
very  young  children 
to  start  learning  on 
the  computer.  It's  a 
collection  of  learning 
exercises  that  ask 
your  children  to  match 
shapes  and  letters,  write  their 
names,  draw  pictures,  or  fill  in 
missing  numbers.  And  KINDER- 
COMP  will  delight  kids  with  color 


ful  rewards,  as  the 
screen  comes  to 
life  when  correct 
answers  are 
given. 

As  a  parent, 
you  can  enjoy 
the  fact  that 

your  children  are  having 

fun  while  improving  their 

reading  readiness  and 

counting  skills. 


FACEMAKER™  makes  faces  fun.  Ages  4  to  12. 


FACEMAKER  lets  chil- 
dren create  their  own 
funny  faces  on  the 
screen.  Once  a  face  is 
completed,  your 
children  will  giggle 
with  delight  as  they 
make  it  do  all  kinds 
of  neat  things:  wink,  smile, 
wiggle  its  ears,  or  whatever 
their  imagination  desires. 


Plus.  FACEMAKER  helps 
children  become  com- 
fortable with  computer 
fundamentals  such  as: 
menus,  cursors,  the 
return  key,  the  space  bar. 
simple  programs,  and 
graphics.  FACEMAKER 
won't  make  parents  frown  because 
their  children  will  have  fun  making 
friends  with  the  computer. 


SPHNOKER 


1 1983,  Spinnaker  Software  Corp.  All  rights  reserved. 


We  make  learning  fun. 


CREATIVE  SOFTWARE 

-  the  #  1  *  i independent  VIC-20  full-line  software 

publisher  in  the  U.S.  -  is  proud  to  announce 

4  new  Game  Cartridges  &  5  Home  Applications 

for  the  COMMODORE  64. 


I  CREATIVE 
JSP  SOFTWARE 


/4SIROBUTZ 


A  GAME  OH  CARTRIDGE  FOR  THE  COMMODORE  64" 


'->' 


Joyifkk  confroller  required. 


■^ssMenrr 


SOFTVWRE 


A  GAME  OH  CARTRIDGE  FOR  THE  COMMODORE  64~ 


THIS  GAME  tS  ALSO  AVAILABLE  FOR  THE  VlC-SO.  THIS  GAME  IS  ALSO  AVAILABLE  FOR  THE  VIC-20. 


CREATIVE 
SOFTWARE 

A  Diviskjn  ol  ASCI.  Inc 
230  East  Caribbean  Drive 
Sunnyvale,  CA  94066 


♦Based  on  survey  of  distributors  and  retailers. 

Copyright  1983  by  Creative  Software.  All  rights  reserved, 

VIC -20,"  "COMMODORE"  and  "COMMODORE  64" 
are  trademarks  of  COMMODORE  ELECTRONICS,  LTD. 


These  Home  Appli- 
cation Programs 

are  also  available 
for  the  VIC-20. 


September  1983    Vol.  1,  No.  3 


FEATURES 


Telecomputing  Today   Tom  R.  Halfhill 

Telecomputing  Glossary     

Commodore's  Nationwide  Party  Line  John  Blackford   . 
Commodore  Bulletin  Boards   Compiled  By  Kathy  Yakal 
News  From  The  Summer  Consumer  Electronics  Show: 
More  Software,  Lower  Prices   Tom  R.  Halfhill    


GAMES 


20 
22 
30 
34 

48 


60 
64 
70 


Demon  Star  For  VIC  And  64  Stan  McDaniel  

Potholes  Joe  Wl  Rocke 

Inside  View:  Programmer  Jim  Connelley  Kathy  Yakal   

REVIEWS 

Terminai-40  For  VIC  Harvey  B.  Herman   92 

VICmodem  For  VIC  And  64  Harvey  B.  Herman 94 

EDUCATION/HOME  APPLICATIONS 

Computing  For  Kids:  A  Robot  Inside  Your  Computer   Fred  D'lgnazio    . 74 

Checkbook  Reporter  Glen  E.  Sparks 80 

States  &  Capitals  Tutor  For  VIC  And  64  Enoch  L  Moser    82 

MiniTerm-20  Donald  L.  Stoner    , 86 

TeleTerm  64   Gregg  Peele    89 


PROGRAMMING 

The  Beginner's  Corner:  POKEing  Graphics   C  Regena    

Machine  Language  For  Beginners   Richard  Mansfield 

Power  BASIC:  64  Searcher  David  W.  Martin    

Hints  &  Tips:  Better  Commodore  INPUT  Mark  Walsh    

Using  The  Function  Keys:  A  BASIC  Tutorial    Charles  Brannon 

DEPARTMENTS 


38 
.  44 
102 
104 
106 


The  Editor's  Notes  Robert  Lock   6 

Gazette  Feedback   Editors  &  Readers 10 

Simple  Answers  To  Common  Questions    Tom  R.  Halfhill    18 

HOTWARE:  This  Month's  Best  Sellers   Kathy  Yakal 58 

VICreations:  Understanding  Random  Numbers   Dan  Carmichael 78 

64  Explorer:  Single-Drive  Disk  Copying,  Part  2   Larry  Isaacs 96 


PROGRAM  LISTINGS 


A  Beginner's  Guide  To  Typing  In  Programs 110 

How  To  Type  In  COMPUTEl's  Gazette  Programs Ill 

Program  Listings 113 

Bug  Swatter:  Modifications  &  Corrections 125 

Product  Mart 126 

Advertisers  Index 1  28 


V/64 
V/64 


V 

V/64 


V/64 
V/64 
V 
64 


V/64 

V/64 

64 

V/64 

V/64 


V 

64 


'  =  General,  V  =  VIC20,  64  =  Commodore  64. 


COMPUTERS  Gautit  is  published  twelve  limes  e.irh  yeai  by  COMPUTf!  Publications,  Inc,  Posl  Office  Bin  5406.  Greensboro,  NC  27-1113  USA.  Phone  («>19)275-'W). 
FihtMEL.il  unices  .in'  toc.iiLii.it  5(ifi  f\hv,mli,t  Drive,  Greensboro,  NC274Q9,  Domestic  subscriptions:  12  issues,  £20,  Send  subscription  orders  or  change  of  address 
(P  t  >.  I  orm357S)  liiCirciil.uiiin  Dept.,  COMPUTE!'!  Qntilt,  r  ( »  Box  S406,  Greensboro,  N(  27403,  Second  class  application  pending  at  Greensboro,  NC27403nnd 

.ldthliiin.il  in.i ilill|',ultn'i-s   ijllireioillvnlsiiipviifjil  '     l'»K  I  hv  COMPUTE!  i'uHii.i lions,  JiK'   All  righls  ii'si-ivcl    ISSN  (1737-3716, 


THE  EDITOR'S 


We're  off  and  growing!  This 
issue  our  press  run  exceeds 
200,000,  and  a  strong  fall  selling 
season  looms  ahead.  Our  initial 
newsstand  sales  have  been  ex- 
tremely gratifying,  and  we  want 
to  thank  all  of  you  who  have 
participated  in  the  first  three 
issues  as  writers  and  readers. 

Commodore's  recent  pricing 
moves  in  the  area  of  software 
will  escalate  the  current  mar- 
keting battle  between  11  and 
Commodore.  At  the  Consumer 
Electronics  Show,  Commodore 
introduced  some  significant  new 
software  and  announced  sub- 
stantial price  cuts  in  their  soft- 
ware library.  Watch  for  the 
continued  availability  of  more 
and  better  software  at  more 
consumer-oriented  price  levels 
from  both  Commodore  and  out- 
side vendors. 

Elsewhere  in  this  issue, 
Editor  Tom  1  lallhill  has  an  excel- 
lent report  of  the  new  products 
and  strategics  revealed  at  the 
CES. 

Telecommunications  today? 
This  issue  our  featured  theme 
explores  the  world  of  communi- 
cation among  computer  users. 
We're  quite  interested  in  hearing 


from  readers,  on  an  ongoing 
basis,  about  your  participation 
and  projections  for  the  future. 
Who  knows,  in  the  not  too  dis- 
tant future,  you  may  be  able  to 
dial  up  the  current  issue  of 
Gazette  programs  and  have  them 
ready  to  run. 

Now  that  many  of  you  have 
had  a  two-  or  three-month  expo- 
sure to  COMPUTEI's  Gazette, 
we'd  like  to  ask  a  few  questions. 
Please  use  the  Editor's  Feedback 
card  for  your  answers,  or  if  you 
wish,  drop  us  a  letter.  Are  you 
happy  with  the  mix  of  articles 
and  programs  we're  presenting? 
Are  the  tutorials  tutoring 
enough?  Are  you  finding  the 
applications  useful?  Finally, 
what  do  you  feel  about  the  place- 
ment of  program  listings  in  the 
back  of  the  magazine?  We'd  cer- 
tainly appreciate  your  input  on 
some  or  all  of  these  questions. 
Your  feed ba ck  really  is  quite 
useful  to  us,  and  our  in-house 
staff  of  superb  writers  and 
editors  is  helped  by  your 
comments. 

Bits  and  Pieces:  Manage- 
ment changes  loom  at  Com  mi v- 
dorc?  Software  Division  expands 
considerably.  Outside  vendors, 


well-known  in  other  areas,  now 
moving  quickly  to  support  Com- 
modore VIC  and  64  computers. 
Pre-Christmas  season  projects 
more  and  more  higher  end 
sophisticated  applications  soft- 
ware, especially  for  64. 

One  last  note:  In  order  to 
accommodate  several  full-length 
feature  articles  this  issue,  we 
decided  to  omit  the  News  and 
Products  section.  News  and 
Products  will  resume  in  the  Oc- 
tober issue.  Next  month  -  The 
Anatomy  of  Computers,  Tele- 
gaming,  and  a  great  deal  more. 


Editor  In  Chief 


6    COMPUTEl'i  Gazelle    Suplember  1983 


^  IV 


'  [ 


"YOU  WONT 

YOUR  EYES 


ff 


■  HAH 

IIMIII 

■  111 
fi  I  ■  1 1 
III 

flllllll 


HICH 
SCORE 


SCORE 
OCO  MS 


THRESHOLD,™ 


LUNAR    LEEPER,™ 


CROSSFIRE™ 


CANNONBALL  BLITZ' 


ACTUAL  VIC  20  SCREENS 


They  said  it  couldn't  be  done.  Boy, 
were  they  wrong! 


You'll  find  the  best  graphics  ever 
available  for  the  Vic  20  in  games  that 
are  already  hits  on  the  Apple  and  Atari. 
Think  of  it!  Brilliant  graphics  and  the 
fastest  action  this  side  of  reality. 

Survive  wave  after  wave  -  24 
different  levels  -  of  intruding 
aliens  in  THRESHOLD. 
Rescue  your  space  pals  from 
the  hungry  LUNAR  LEEPER™ 
and  head  for  the  eye.      Save 


your  city  from  reincarnating  invaders 
in  CROSSFIRE.™  Evade  a  CANNON- 
BALL  BLITZ™  to  climb  through  three 
stages  of  action  to  defeat  the 
Redcoats. 

Sierra  Ort-Line's  assortment  of  the 
best  the  brightest  and  the  fastest 
Believe  it! 

THRESHOLD,™  LUNAR  LEEPER,™ 
CROSSFIRE™  and  CANNONBALL 
BLITZ™:  A  whole  new  took  for  the  Vic 
20!  Available  at  your  local  dealer. 


COMPUTE!  Publications,  Inc. 


Editor  in  Chief /Publisher  Robert  C.  Lock 
Publisher's  Assistant  Alice  5.  Wolfe 

Senior  Editor  Richard  Mansfield 
Managing  Editor  Kathleen  E.  Martinek 
Art/Design  Director  Georgia  Papadopoulos 

Editorial 

Tom  R,  Halfhill,  Gazette  Editor;  Orson  Scott  Card, 
Editor,  COMPUTE!  Books  Division;  Gail  Walker, 
Production  Editor;  Ottis  R.  Cow  per,  Technical  Editor; 
Charles  Brannon,  Program  Editor;  Tony  Roberts, 
Assistant  Managing  Editor 

Assistant  Editors 

Dan  Carniichael  (Publications),  John  Blackford 
(Features),  Stephen  Levy  (Books);  Lance  Elko 
(Publications),  Kathy  Yakal,  Editorial  Assistant 
(Features) 

Programming  Assistants 

Patrick  Parrish,  Gregg  Peele,  Jonathan  Byrd 
Copy  Editing/Proofreading 

Juanita  Lewis  (Assistant),  Becky  Hal!,  Sarah  Johnston, 
Linda  Shaw 

Administrative  Staff 

Vicki  Jennings,  Laura  MacFadden,  Carol  Eddy, 

Julia  Fleming 

Associate  Editors 

Jim  Buttcrfield  (Toronto),  Harvey  Herman 
(Greensboro),  Fred  D'Ignazio  (Roanoke),  David 
Thornburg  (Los  Altos),  Bill  Wilkinson  {Cupertino) 

Production 

Irma  Swain,  Assistant  Production  Manager;  De  Potter, 
Mechanical  Art  Supervisor;  Terry  Cash,  Typesetting 

Artists 

Leslie  Jessup,  Cindy  Mitchell  (Publications),  Janice  Fary 
(Books);  Todd  Heimarck,  Promotions  Assistant; 
Harry  Blair,  Illustrator 

Operations/Customer  Service 

Carol  Lock,  Manager;  Assistants:  Patty  Jones, 
Shannon  Meyer;  Dealer  Coordinator,  Fran  Lyons; 
Assistants;  Gail  Jones,  Sharon  Minor 

Customer  Service  Staff 

Chris  Gordon,  Dorothy  Bogan,  Cassandra  Robinson, 
Chris  Patty,  Rhonda  Savage,  Lisa  Flaharty,  Anita 
Roop,  Mary  Sprague,  Carol  Di eke rson,  Sharon  Sebastian 
Jim  Coward  (Warehouse  Manager),  Larry  O'Connor, 
Chris  Cain,  Dai  Rees,  Jack  McConnell __ 

Data  Processing 

Leon  Stokes,  Manager;  Joan  Com p ton.  Assistant 

Accounting 

W.  Jerry  Day,  Manager;  Ellen  Day,  Bookkeeper; 
Assistants:  Linda  Miller,  Doris  Hall;  Staff:  Ruth 
Granger,  Anna  Harris,  Emilic  Covil,  Anne  Ferguson 

Advertising  Sales 

Andy  Median,  National  Sales  Manager;  Patti  Williams, 
Production  Coordinator;  Bonnie  Valentino,  Accounting 
Coordinator;  Rosemarie  Davis,  Sales  Assistant 
Sales  Representatives 

Jerry  Thompson  415-348-8222 

Phoebe  Thompson  408-354-5553 

JoAnn  Sullivan  619-941-2313 

Ed  Winchell  213-378-8361 

Harry  Blair  919-275-9809 

8    COMP UTEi'i  Gazette    Soplember  1 983 


Jules  E.  Thompson,  Inc. 

National  and  Canadian  Sales  Representatives 

1290  Howard  Avenue,  Suite  303 

Burlinga  me,  CA  94010 

Address  all  advertising  materials  to: 

Patti  Williams,  COMPUTE!'*  Gazette, 

505  Edwardia  Drive,  Greensboro,  NC  27409 

Sales  Offices,  The  Thompson  Company 

New  England  617-720-1888 

Mid-Atlantic  212-772-0933 

Southeast  919-275-9809 

Midwest  312-726-6047 

Texas  713-731-2605 

Northwest  408-354-5553 

Northern  CA  4 15-348-8222  or 408-354-5553 

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returned  if  author  provides  a  self-addressed,  stamped  envelope. 
Where  programs  are  included  in  an  article  submission,  a  tape  or  disk 
must  accompany  the  submission.  Printed  listings  are  optional,  but 
helpful,  Articles' should  be  furnished  as  typed  copy  (upper  and 
lowercase,  please)  with  double  spacing.  Each  article  page  should 
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tisements. Opinions  expressed  by  authors  are  not  necessarily  those 
of  COMPUTE!  Publications,  Inc. 

PET,  CBM,  VIC- 20,  and  Commodore  64  are  trademarks  of  Commo- 
dore Business  Machines,  Inc.,  and/or  Commodore  Electronics 
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tion and  services  to  owners  and  users  of  Commodore  products, 
COMPUTE!  Publications,  Inc.,  is  in  no  way  associated  with  Commo- 
dore Business  Machines,  Inc.,  or  cinv  of  its  subsidiaries. 


TM 


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With  over  30,000  happy  WordPro  clients  churning  out  letters  and 
documents  all  over  the  world,  the  WordPro  Plus™  Series  is  un- 
questionably the  #1  selling  software  package  on  Commodore 
computersl  So  when  you  choose  WordPro,  you  know  you're  in- 
vesting in  a  trial-tested  program  that's  a  real  winner.  And  Word- 
Pro 3  Plus/64  is  NOW  available  for  your  Commodore  64  com- 
puter at  prices  as  low  as  $89.95. 

Designed  for  the  novice  user  with  no  computer  or  word  process- 
ing experience  whatsoever,  WordPro  3  Plus/64  brings  a  whole 
new  dimension  to  the  term  "user-friendly."  More  than  just  easy 
to  use,  WordPro  3  Plus/64  is  a  commercial  level  word  processor 
loaded  with  powerful  features  including:  Auto  Page  Numbering, 


Headers  and  Footers,  Math  Functions,  Global  Search  and 
Replace,  the  Ability  to  Create  Multiple  Personalized  Letters  and 
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much,  much,  more. 

Best  of  all,  WordPro  3  Plus/64's  powerful  arsenal  of  features  can 
be  put  to  use  almost  immediately— by  even  the  novice  user.  So 
whether  you're  a  writer,  in  business,  education,  or  just  a  hob- 
byist, you'll  quickly  become  a  WordPro  Pro! 

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The  WordPro  Plus  Series  was  designed  and  written  by  Steve  Punter  of  Pro-Micro  Software  Ltd. 

Some  printers  may  not  support  certain  WordPro  3  Plus/64  functions  and/or  require  an  interface.  Please  check  with  your  dealer. 

Commodore  64™  is  a  trademark  of  Commodore  Electronics  Ltd. 

Dealer  and  Distributor  inquiries  are  invited. 


GAZETTE  FEEDBACK 


EDITORS  AND  READERS 


Do  you  have  a  question  or  a  problem?  Or  have  you 
discovered  something  thai  could  help  oilier  ViC-20  and 
Commodore  64  users?  Do  you  have  a  comment  about 
something  you've  read  in  COMPUTERS  Gazette 
for  Commodore?  "Gazette  Feedback"  wants  to  hear 
from  you. 

Blank  Screen  Problems 

I  own  a  Commodore  64.  Lately  I  have  been  having 
problems  with  the  screen.  Sometimes  when  I  use 
the  tape  cassette  or  the  SYS  statement,  the  screen 
becomes  totally  unreadable.  The  background 
turns  white,  all  the  letters  turn  to  blank  spaces, 
and  the  screen  shows  rows  of  dark  blue  spaces  at 
random  locations.  Not  even  SYS  64730  {system 
cold  start)  is  safe. 

What  causes  this,  and  what  am  I  to  do? 

Travis  Milan d 

When  loading  programs  from  the  tape  recorder  on  the 
Commodore  64,  the  screen  is  supposed  to  turn  blank. 
Because  the  64' s  screen  display  is  so  much  larger  than 
the  VIC-20's  (40  columns  by  25  lines),  a  lot  of  computer 
time  is  needed  to  produce  and  maintain  the  screen.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  V1C-H  chip  (the  microchip  in  the 
Commodore  64  that  creates  the  screen  display)  needs 
about  8  to  10  percent  of  the  computer's  time  just  to 
"draw"  the  screen.  Thai 's  why  Commodore  has  designed 
the  64  to  blank  out  the  screen  during  tape  loads.  This 
helps  to  improve  not  o>dy  the  speed,  hut  also  the  accuracy 
of  the  tape  loads. 

As  for  your  problem  with  the  blank  screen  while 
using  the  SYS  command  (a  command  used  to  start  a 
machine  language  routine),  or  the  random  blue  lines, 
we  have  no  anszoer.  Because  we  do  not  know  which 
memory  location  you  are  SYSing  to,  we  can  only  guess 
at  the  problems  you  are  encountering. 

However,  the  random  blue  lines  sound  like  a  prob- 
lem that  might  be  specific  to  your  computer,  a  hardware 
problem.  We  recommend  that  you  return  your  Commo- 
dore 64  to  the  dealer  and  have  it  checked  out. 


Built-in  DOS 

I  have  had  my  VIC-20  for  about  four  months  now. 
I  work  for  my  dad's  company  writing  data  files. 

1 0    COM PUTES'i  Gazette    Sep le m ber  1 9 83 


All  I  have  is  a  cassette  recorder  right  now.  How 
much  memory  must  you  have  on  a  VIC-20  to  op- 
erate a  single  disk  drive?  I  am  going  to  buy  a  disk 
drive  and  more  memory.  How  much  do  I  need?  1 
am  only  12  years  old,  and  I  need  all  the  help  I 
can  get. 

Brandon  Knight 

The  Commodore  VlC-1540  disk  drive,  designed  for  the 
VIC-20  only,  and  the  V1C-1541  disk  drive,  designed 
for  use  with  either  the  VIC-20  or  the  Commodore  64, 
are  both  self-contained  units.  Because  both  have  a  built- 
in  DOS  (Disk  Operating  System  -  the  program  that 
tells  the  disk  drive  what  to  do),  they  are  "intelligent" 
devices  and  do  not  need  any  of  the  computer's  memory. 
Either  disk  drive  will  work  successfully  with  the  unex- 
panded  or  the  expanded  VIC.  This  is  not  true  with 
some  other  personal  computer  systems,  which  require 
computer  memory  to  load  DOS. 

Disk  Drive  Woes 

A  month  or  two  ago,  I  purchased  a  VIC- 1541 
Floppy  Disk  Drive  for  my  Commodore  64.  After 
about  15  to  30  minutes  of  "playing"  with  it,  I 
started  getting  read  errors  on  the  demo  disk. 
Thinking  I  had  a  bad  demo  disk,  I  went  out  and 
bought  a  box  of  3M  Floppy  Diskettes.  To  my  dis- 
may, I  could  initialize,  with  great  difficulty,  only 
three  out  of  the  ten  diskettes  in  the  box.  Using 
one  of  the  initialized  diskettes,  I  tried  saving  one 
of  my  programs  I  had  on  tape,  but  I  got  read  errors 
again. 

Then  I  had  the  drive  exchanged  for  another. 
My  experiences  with  the  second  drive  were  like 
those  of  the  first:  frustrating!  The  second  drive 
was  returned  for  a  full  refund. 

Later,  I  purchased  a  VIC-1541  from  another 
source,  and  guess  what  happened  30  minutes 
after  the  drive  was  taken  out  of  the  box?  More 
read  errors. 

Is  il  me,  or  is  there  an  inherent  flaw  in  the 
design  of  the  1541?  I  know  that  it's  not  my  com- 
puter because  the  year-old  1541  that  I  borrowed 
from  a  friend  works  like  a  champ  on  my  64,  and 
he  doesn't  have  any  problems  with  it  on  his 
VIC-20. 


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The  Commodore  641"  is  one 
of  the  most  exciting  home  com- 
puters in  memory. 

But  memory  isn't  the  only 
thing  that's  exciting  about  the  64. 

Because  Tronix  is  here. 
Class  act. 
The  people  who  have  been 
bringing  out  the  best  in  the 
VIC  2CT  (and  Atarif  too)  have 
graduated  to  the  Commodore  64. 

Which  means  that  now  you 
can  enjoy  fast  action,  complex 
strategies,  interesting  characters, 
superior  sound  effects  and  chal- 
lenging, play  patterns. 

Just  like  VIC  20  and  Atari 
owners.  Only  faster,  more  com- 
plex, and  more  challenging,  too. 

More  memorable,  in  other  words 
In  a  class  by  ourselves. 
Of  course,  if  you'd  rather  not 
take  our  word  for  it,  you  don't 
have  to.  The  experts  at  Electronic 
Games  have  called  Kid  Grid  for 
Atari  "one  of  the  most  compul- 
sive, utterly  addictive  contests  in 
the  world  of  computer  gaming." 

They  haven't  seen  any- 
thing yet. 


^^^^         By  Arti 
Harotitunian 

Edison,  the 
kinetic  android,  leads 
a  frustrating  life. 

AH  he  wants  to  do  is  build  his 
circuit  boards  and  go  with  the 
flow.  But  things  keep  getting  in 
the  way. 

Nohms  —  a  negative  influence 
—  bug  him  constantly.  Flash,  the 
lightning  dolt,  disconnects  every- 
thing in  his  path. 

And  the  cunning  Killerwatt  is 
out  to  fry  poor  Edison's  brains, 

You'll  get  a  charge  out  of  this 
one.  And  a  few  jolts,  too! 

(Suggested  retail  S34.95) 


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By  Art! 

Haroutunian. 

Connecting  the 
dots  on  our  colorful 
grid  should  be  easy,  right? 

Wrong.  Because  the  bullies 
are  in  hot  pursuit! 

Squashface,Thuggy,  Muggy 
and  Moose  are  their  names. 
And  you  are  their  game.  And 
what's  more,  they're  faster  than 
you  are. 

But  you're  smarter.  And  you 
control  the  stun  button. 

So  keep  your  eyes  peeled  for 
the  mysterious  question  mark 
and  don't  slow  down  at  corners! 

{Suggested  retail:  S34.95) 


By 
Graham  McKay. 

Your  agents 
risked  their  lives 
to  find  the  enemy's  secret 
headquarters. 

Now  you're  risking  yours  to 
destroy  it. 

And  they  know  you're  coming. 

As  you  fly  over  water  and 
across  hundreds  of  miles  of 
unfriendly  territory,  the  action  is 
thick,  fast  and  three-dimensional. 

Fighter  aircraft.  Surface-to-air 
missiles.  Helicopter  gunships.  The 
attacks  come  from  every  direction. 

Even  from  behind. 

(Suggested  retail:  S34.95) 


UUsitlL 

8295  South  La  Cienega  Blvd.,  Inglewood,  CA  90301 


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I  did  notice  that  if  I  shut  off  the  drive  for  about 
an  hour  and  then  start  it  up,  it'll  work  fine  for 
about  15  to  30  minutes  before  reverting  back  to  its 
old  self  again. 

Leo  Aguino 

The  1540/7541  disk  drives  do  not  have  any  "inherent 
flaw"  we  are  aware  of  that  would  cause  consistent  read 
errors.  There  are  a  number  ofihi)igs  that  may  be  causing 
your  problems.  Here  are  a  fezv  hi) its  that  may  be  of 
help. 

First,  you  mentioned  that  with  much  difficulty 
you  managed  to  initialize  only  three  of  ten  new  diskettes. 
Are  you  formatting  your  blank  diskettes  properly?  All 
new  blank  disks  must  be  formatted  -  that  is,  they  must 
be  "readied  for  use."  As  explained  in  the  V1C-1541 
User's  Manual,  this  is  accomplished  with  a  few  easy 
commands.  After  switching  on  your  system  in  the  proper 
sequence  (computer  last),  place  a  new,  blank  disk  in  the 
drive,  type  the  following,  and  press  RETURN: 

OPEN15,8,15:IM*INT#15/'NI:W0:iwfm\fff'. 

For  name  you  can  use  any  label  up  to  16  characters 
long,  and  for  id  t/»K  can  use  any  two-digit  number. 
Never  format  a  disk  that  already  has  wanted  data  o>i  it, 
because  the  NEW  com  maud  will  erase  it  all. 

Second,  make  sure  your  disk  drive  is  resting  on  a 
level  surface.  Because  of  the  way  the  disk  is  supported 
and  spins  within  the  drive,  an  uneven  surface  could 
cause  read  errors. 

Third,  watch  your  ventilation.  Place  your  drive  in 
an  open,  well-ventilated  area.  Never  block  the  cooling 
slots  by  piling  papers,  books,  etc.,  on  lop  of  the  drive, 
and  avoid  excessive  weigltt  on  the  drive.  As  is  true  with 
all  electronic  equipment,  heat  can  be  very  destructive, 
so  keep  it  cool. 

Fourth,  move  the  drive  as  far  aivay  from  the  TV  as 
possible.  The  TV's  magnetic  field  also  is  a  common 
source  of  read  errors. 

Piqued  By  PEEK 

I  would  like  you  to  tell  me  just  how  a  PEEK  state- 
ment works.  I  have  a  Commodore  VIC-20  and  I 
have  tried  many  ways  to  just  sec  how  it  works, 
but  nothing  happens.  I  have  used  PEEK  state- 
ments in  programs,  but  when  I  try  to  use  one 
outside  a  program,  I  get:  SYNTAX  ERROR, 
READY. 

John  L.  Parker 

The  PEEK  command  is  used  to  display  the  contents  of 
one  memory  location,  or  byte.  When  you  PEEK  a  loca- 
tion, you  are  asking  the  computer  to  tell  you  ivhat  is  in 
that  single  byte.  It  will  return  a  value  between  Ouznd 
255.  The  format  for  the  PEEK  command  is  PEEK  (x), 
where  x  is  the  number  of  the  byte  you  wish  to  PEEK.  X 
must  always  be  a  number  from  0  to  65535.  For  example, 
if  you  type  PRINT  PEEK  (1),  the  computer  will  display 
the  number  in  memory  location  1.  (If  you  leai'e  off  the 

14    COMPUTEI's  Goietta    Soplember  19B3 


PRINT,  the  PEEK  still  works  but  the  computer  will  not 
display  the  result.) 

The  POKE  command  is  just  the  opposite  of  PEEK. 
II  will  POKE,  or  place,  any  number  into  the  memory 
location  you  xvish.  For  example,  entering  POKE 
828,255  will  place  the  number  255  into  location  828. 
Verify  this  by  entering  PRINT  PEEK(828)  aflenoard. 


What  Are  Arrays? 

I  have  owned  my  VIC-20  for  over  nine  months  now, 
and  1  still  can't  find  a  good  definition  of  arrays.  I 
have  looked  in  the  Personal  Computing  Guide  and 
the  VIC-20  Programmer's  Reference  Guide,  and  I  still 
can't  find  anything.  Could  you  tell  me  what  arrays 
are  and  what  they  are  used  for? 

Erik  Fontaine 

Arrays,  although  sometimes  confusing,  are  one  of  the 
more  useful  programming  tools  you  have  and  are  xoell 
worth  learning. 

Arrays  are  a  method  of  storing  information  within  a 
computer  in  such  a  manner  that  data  retrieval  is  fast  and 
easy  to  reference.  For  more  information  on  arrays  and 
their  structures,  refer  to  "States  &  Capitals  Tutor"  in 
this  issue. 


BREAK-Proof  Programming 

I  am  a  proud  owner  of  a  VIC-20.  I've  been  learning 
BASIC  for  about  a  year  now.  I  would  like  to  know 
how  to  protect  VIC  programs.  When  I  say  protect, 
I  mean  that  if  someone  presses  the  RUN/STOP  - 
RESTORE  keys,  the  program  would  continue 
without  breaking.  Also,  how  can  I  protect  pro- 
grams from  being  copied  or  listed? 

Paul  Bekeris 

First,  for  those  who  may  be  unfamiliar  with  the  RUN/ 
STOP  -  RESTORE  keys,  a  quick  explanation.  The 
RUN/STOP  -  RESTORE  keys  can  be  found  on  both  the 
VIC-20  and  the  Commodore  64  computers.  By  pressing 
the  RESTORE,  key  while  simultaneously  holding  down 
the  RUN/STOP  key,  you  can  initiate  a  system  "warm 
start"  (a  system  reset  that  will  not  destroy  or  erase  the 
BASIC  program  that  is  in  memory).  This  warm  start 
can  be  a  useful  tool  if,  for  instance,  a  running  program 
hangs  up  or  "freezes"  the  system.  By  pressing  RUN/ 
STOP  -  RESTORE,  you  can  interrupt  the  program 
and  regain  control  of  the  computer. 

Although  there  are  many  ivays  to  protect  programs, 
there  is  one  way  it  can  be  done  with  txvo  easy  POKEs. 
To  disable  the  RUN/STOP  -  RESTORE  keys  on  the 
VIC,  POKE  808,  WO.  To  restore  them  to  normal,  POKE 
808,112.  On  the  64,  POKE  808,225  to  disable  and 
POKE  808,237  to  reset.  (These  POKEs  also  turn  the 
listings  into  "garbage.")  To  protect  your  program  from 
being  listed  or  saved  once  it  is  running,  you  can  disable 
the  entire  keyboard.  To  disable  the  keyboard   POKE 


When  it  comes  to  superior  performance, 
we  study  our  lines  very  carefully. 


Superior  printer  performance  is  not  a  fluka 
It  evolves  from  analyzing  printed  line  after 
printed  line.  Taking  the  time  to  test  and  retest. 
After  30  years  of  manufacturing  precision 
parts,  we  know  that  there  are  no  shortcuts. 

And  so  we  took  the  GeminMOX  and  method- 
ically put  it  through  its  120  cps  pace.  We 
achieved  a  print  head  life  of  over  100  million 
characters  with  an  extremely  precise  dot  align- 
ment creating  each  crisp  character. 

So  far  so  good. 

Next,  sophisticated  performance  de- 
manded versatility.  A  wide  choice  of 
character  sets,  a  buffer  expandable  ■  ■ 

to  8K,  and  the  ability  to  interface 
with  all  popular  personal 
computers.  We  added  macro 


instruction,  giving  GeminMOX  the  capability 
to  perform  up  to  16  operations  with  one  com- 
mand. We  included  as  standard  a  paper 
feed  system  that  has  a  friction  and  fully  adjui 
able  tractor  feed.  Then  we  even  built  in  the 
dexterity  to  print  graphics  and  text  on  the 
same  line. 

Done. 

And,  of  course,  staying  the  best  means 
constant  reviewing  and  fine-tuning.  Keeping 
the  Gemini  easy  to  find,  easy  to  afford  and  so 
reliable  it  can  be  warranted  for  up  to  twice 
as  long  as  its  major  competitors. 

A        Only  the  most  careful 


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mil  ron  m-int 
THE  POWER  BEHIND  THE  PRINTED  WORD. 

Computer  Peripheral!  Division 
2B0JN.W.  12th  Street.  Dalles  Ft,  Worth  Airport,  TX  75261 


hard-working  Gemmi-10X. 
You'll  applaud  its  performance. 


649,0  on  either  the  VIC  or  64.  To  return  the  keyboard 
to  its  normal  status,  POKE  649,10.  Then' are  many 
useful  memory  locations  inside  your  VIC-20.  This  and 
more  information  can  be  found  in  COMPUTERS  First 
Book  Of  VIC. 


No  Such  Luck 

Every  time  I  type  POKE  56,  PEEK  (56)  +2  into 
my  VIC-20  and  then  type  PRINT  FRE(O),  the 
amount  of  K  (memory)  £i>es  Up.  Is  this  real,  usable 
memory  or  just.a  mistake  made  by  my  VIC-20?  If 
this  is  real  memory,  will  it  damage  my  computer 
in  any  way? 

Richard  Rutiglia 

No,  this  is  not  real  memory.  In  the  VIC-20  there  are  a 
number  of  memory  locations  (bytes)  that  tell  the  oper- 
ating system,  or  computer,  how  much  memory  is  avail- 
able for  use.  A  couple  of  these  are  locations  43  and  44, 
which  tell  the  computer  where  the  bottom  of  BASIC 
programming  memory  is,  and  55  and  56,  which  tell  the 
computer  where  the  top  of  memory  is.  These  locations 
are  usually  controlled  automatically  by  the  computer, 
but  they  can  also  be  controlled  (POKEd,  for  instance) 
In/  the  user.  When  you  POKE  a  value  into  location  56, 
you  fool  the  computer  into  thinking  it  has  more  or  less 
memory  available  than  it  actually  does.  POKEinga 
higher  number  does  not  create  any  usable  extra  memory. 
However,  some  programmers  POKE  lower  numbers 
here  to  protect  memory  from  BASIC  for  other  purposes. 

POKEing  values  other  than  normal  into  these 
locations  will  not  in  any  way  hurt  your  computer,  but 
it  can  harm  any  BASIC  programs  that  might  already  be 
in  memory,  or  any  BASIC  programs  that  are  loaded 
after  the  POKEs  are  made.  If  these  locations  accidentally 
get  POKEd  with  bad  values  and  you  lose  your  BASIC 
program,  the  easiest  way  to  reset  the  computer  to  norma! 
is  to  simply  turn  it  off  and  then  back  on  again.  QS 


FOXS®IFir  Pfesent£ JpryteByter- 

For  the  Commodore  64~ 

The  user  affectionate  sprite  development  program.  Menu- 
driven,  mono/multicolor  sprites,  joy  stick/  keyboard,  tape/disk. 
20K  w/FAST  machine  language  routines.  Over  60  commands: 
ROTATE  (any  angle  0-360),  IN  VERT/ OB  VERT,  SHIFT.  SYM- 
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16     COMPUTE!'*  Gazette    September  1983 


DRAW 

with  your  joystick! 


Now.  you  r. in  treair  high- resolution  pictures 
on-screen  with  your  joystick  as  a  "pen."  Design  critters, 
objects,  pie-charts  —  whatever  your  imagination  wishes  I 
SAVE  your  creations  to  tape  or  disk,  and  PRINT 
them  on  a  VIC  printer.  Educational  and  fun! 

Draw  narrow  or  wide  lines,  curvy  or  straight,  set  points, 
add  captions;  create  background  patterns,  change 
I  in  lute,  background,  and  border  colors;  reverse  colors  toi 
a  negative;  even  connect  dots  with  straight  lines 
automatically!  You  control  every  dot  on  the  screen. 

A  large  "Picture  Library"  is  included  to  get  you  started, 
plus  a  20-page  instruction  manual.  Joystick  required.  VIC 
printer  and  disk  drive  optional.  On  cassette. 


For  the  Commodore  6*1 

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to,'  the  vie.  20 
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PRINT  [the  unprintable) . . . 

with  Smart  ASCII  Plus  $59.95 

Now.  print  the  unprintable  Commodore  graphics  on 
your  dot-addressable  printer*  with  Smart  ASCII  Plus.  This 
powerful,  low-cost  software  interface  converts  you 
USER  PORT  into  a  fast,  intelligent  port  for  "Centronii  s" 
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Six  flexible  print  modes:  GRAPHICS,  TRANSLATE. 
DaisyTRANSLAI  E.  CBM  ASCII.  Irue  ASCII.  PIPELINE. 
GRAPHICS  mode  creates  actual  VIC/ 61  keyboard 
graphics.  TRANSLATE  converts  normally  unprintable 
control-codes  into  text:  (CLR),  (RVS).  (BLUj,  etc..  with  an 
extended  mode  for  Daisywheel  printers  Convenient 
set-up  menu  and  simplified  operation. 
Sniail  ASCII  Plus  is  compatible  wtifi  most  application 
programs  WordPro  i+,  EasyScripl,  Quick  Brown  Fox  |(or 
the  VIC).  Writer's  Assistant,  i  ti 
Complete  with  connecting  cable  for  printer  and 
instruction  manual  On  cassette.  Copy  to  your  disk  for 
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SIMPLE  ANSWERS  TO  COMMON  QUESTIONS 

TOM  R.  HALFHILL,  EDITOR 


Each  month,  COMPUTERS  Gazette  will  tackle  some  ^«es- 

tions  cowman!}/  asked  by  new  VIC-20/Commodorc  64  owners 
ami  b\j  people  shopping  for  their  first  home  computer. 


can  be  filled  with  characters  which  are  redefined 
"on  the  fly,"  so  to  .speak,  to  simulate  a  medium-res 
mode  of  160  by  96  pixels. 


What  exactly  does  "high-resolution 
graphics"  mean?  Is  there  such  a  thing  as  "low- 
resolution  graphics"? 


Graphics  resolution  refers  to  the  degree  of 
detail  with  which  a  picture  can  be  drawn  by  a 
computer  on  the  TV  screen.  The  higher  the  reso- 
lution, the  greater  the  degree  of  detail. 

Computer  resolution  is  measured  in  numbers 
of  pixels  -  picture  elements.  A  pixel  is  a  screen 
dot.  Everything  a  computer  puts  on  a  TV  screen 
is  composed  of  these  pixels,  very  much  like  the 
way  a  photograph  is  reproduced  in  a  newspaper 
or  magazine.  Even  the  characters  are  formed  of 
pixels.  If  you  look  closely  at  your  screen,  you  may 
be  able  to  see  the  pixels,  although  many  TV  sets 
lack  the  clarity  to  display  each  dot  sharply. 

There  is  no  standard  size  for  pixels.  On  a 
"high-resolution"  screen,  the  pixels  are  very 
small.  On  a  "low-resolution"  screen,  the  pixels 
may  be  so  large  that  they  appear  not  as  dots,  but 
as  small  boxes  or  rectangles.  Naturally,  when  the 
pixels  are  smaller,  more  will  fit  on  the  screen,  so 
pictures  can  be  drawn  in  finer  detail. 

The  Commodore  64  has  a  high-resolution 
graphics  mode  with  64,000  pixels.  This  breaks 
down  into  320  pixels  horizontally  bv  200  vertically 
This  is  comparable  to  "hi-res"  screens  on  other 
computers,  such  as  the  Apple  (280  by  192)  and 
the  Atari  (320  by  192).  Also  like  these  computers, 
the  64  has  a  "medium-resolution"  graphics  mode 
of  200  by  160  pixels. 

The  VIC-20  lacks  such  graphics  modes.  How- 
ever, with  clever  programming,  the  VIC  screen 

18    COMPUTE!'!  Gazette    September  1 983 


Sometimes  when  playing  a  game  that 
I've  just  loaded  from  cassette  tape,  the  joystick 
controls  don't  respond  right.  When  I  move  the 
joystick  in  a  certain  direction,  nothing  happens. 
I  know  I  typed  in  the  program  correctly,  but  the 
problem  still  crops  up  sometimes.  What  could  be 
wrong? 


Often  these  kinds  of  problems  are  caused 
by  mistakes  in  the  program.  If  you're  absolutely 
positive  there  are  no  typos,  it's  possible  that  your 
joystick  is  showing  signs  of  wear.  A  worn  cord, 
or  a  broken  or  damaged  contact  within  the  joystick 
itself,  can  cause  erratic  responses  that  are  hard  to 
isolate. 

There's  something  else  you  might  check  first, 
though.  If  you  left  the  PLAY  button  on  the  cassette 
recorder  pressed  after  loading  the  program,  re- 
lease it  with  the  STOP  button  and  then  see  if  the 
joystick  responds  properly.  Often  this  will  solve 
the  problem. 

Why?  Because  of  a  memory  conflict  within 
the  computer.  The  memory  locations  which  are 
used  to  control  the  joystick  serve  double-duty  - 
they  also  detect  if  buttons  are  pressed  on  the  cas- 
sette recorder.  Therefore,  if  you  leave  the  PLAY 
button  locked  down  after  loading  a  program,  it 
can  interfere  with  the  joystick.  Always  press  STOP 
after  the  program  is  loaded.  This  is  a  good  habit 
to  develop  in  any  case,  because  leaving  the  PLAY 
button  pressed  for  long  periods  of  lime  when  the 
tape  is  not  moving  deforms  the  rubber  roller  which 
maintains  pressure  on  the  capstan.  A  pinched 
roller  can  cause  the  tape  speed  to  varv,  leading  to 
bad  S A  V  Es  a  n  d  LO  A  Ds .  4 


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elecomputing  means  hooking  up  your 
personal  Computet  through  ordinary  tele- 
phone  lines  vjtith  a  simple  device  called  a 
modem.  This  opens  up  a  whole  hew  world 
of  computing,  giving  you  access  to  infor- 
mation services,  electronic  newspapers 
and  magazines,  computerized  "bulletin 
boards, "  and  fellow  hobbyists  -  next  door 
or  across  the  country.  Interested?  Here's 
what  you  '11  need  to  know  to  get  started. 


TELECOMPUTING 

TODAY 


Tom  R.  Holfhill,  Editor 


Telecomputing  Articles 
In  This  Issue: 

Telecomputing  Glossary 
Commodore's 
Nationwide  Party  Line 

Commodore 
Bulletin  Boards 

MiniTerm-20 

TeleTerm  64 

Review:  VICmodem 
For  VIC  And  64 

Review:  Terminal  40 
For  VIC 


Coming 
Next  Month 

Telegaming  Today 
And  Tomorrow 

Downloading  Games: 
A  Step  Toward 
Telegaming 


Many  futurists  believe 
that  someday  tele- 
computing will  be 
the  primary  use  for 
home  computers  -  an  integral 
part  of  every  modern 
household. 

You've  probably  already 
heard  the  predictions  about 
home  banking,  home  shopping, 
"electronic  newspapers,"  tele- 
games,  and  on-line  encyclo- 
pedias and  data  bases.  Actually, 
all  of  these  services  are  available 
today,  though  perhaps  not  in  all 
areas,  or  in  an  affordable  or 
mature  form.  But  times  are 
changing  fast. 

All  of  our  electronics/ 
communications  technologies 
seem  to  be  merging,  moving 
together  toward  a  common  cen- 
ter. Think  about  it:  telephones, 
television,  cable  systems,  satel- 
lite receivers,  video  cassette 
recorders,  videodiscs,  video 
motion  and  still  cameras,  home 
computers  ...  everything  is 
evolving  toward  some  kind  of 
"lelectronic"  supersystem  that 
someday  will  fuse  these  now- 
separate  parts  into  an  integrated 
whole. 

Will  it  really  happen  within 
our  lifetimes?  There  are  strong 
indications. 


TV  sets  are  starting  to  come 
equipped  with  cable  tuners  and 
extra  jacks  for  home  computers, 
videogames,  and  other  acces- 
sories. Wide-ranging  informa- 
tion services  aimed  at  personal 
computer  users  already  are  ac- 
cessible with  a  local  phone  call 
in  every  major  city  of  the  United 
States.  Similar  systems  in  Europe 
are  even  more  advanced.  Some 
cable  TV  networks  and  banks  in 
the  United  States  are  test- 
marketing  interactive  systems 
using  low-cost  home  computers 
as  terminals.  A  few  of  the  latest 
personal  computers  to  be  intro- 
duced, including  those  from 
Atari,  Radio  Shack,  and  Os- 
borne, offer  built-in  phone 
modems  as  a  standard  feature. 
A  new  division  of  Atari,  Atarilel, 
is  working  on  a  secret  project 
that  will  unite  home  telephone 
and  computer  technology  in  a 
new  way.  Some  people,  instead 
of  commuting  to  the  city,  work 
at  home  with  personal  com- 
puters or  remote  terminals  tied 
into  their  employer's  computer 
over  the  phone  lines.  Video 
cameras  are  overtaking  Super-8 
movie  cameras  in  popularity. 
Still  cameras  that  replace  film 
with  magnetic  disks  and  which 
display  their  photos  on  TV  sets 

September  1983     COMPUTE!'*  Gazette    21 


Telecomputing 
Glossary 

acoustic-coupled:  a  typo  of 
modem  that  attaches  to  a  tele- 
phone handset  with  tightly 
fitting  rubber  cups  over  the 
earpiece  and  mouthpiece. 

ASCII  (American  Standard 
Code  for  Information  Inter- 
change): a  standardized 
method  of  encoding  characters 
(letters,  numbers,  punctua- 
tion, special  symbols)  into 
numbers.  In  telecomputing, 
all  computer  output  is  con- 
verted to  ASCII  numbers  for 
transmission.  ASCII  transla- 
tion is  a  main  task  of  the 
terminal  software. 

auto-answer:  a  feature  avail- 
able on  some  modems.  When 
hooked  up  to  a  phone  line 
and  a  computer  system  which 
is  left  switched  on,  an  auto- 
answer modem  automatically 
answers  the  phone  when 
someone  calls  and  establishes 
a  communications  link  with 
the  other  modem. 

auto-dial:  another  special  fea- 
ture which  allows  the  modem 
to  automatically  dial  the 
phone. 

baud  rate:  a  measure  of  trans- 
mission/reception speed  of  a 
modem.  A  baud  is  approxi- 
mately one  bit  (binary  digit) 
per  second.  Eight  bits  are  re- 
quired for  one  character.  Most 
home  computer  modems  work 
at  300  baud,  which  is  about  30 
characters  per  second,  A  few 
more  expensive  modems  work 
at  1200  baud. 

BBS  (bulletin  board  system): 

a  computer  system  with  an 
auto-answer  modem  that  is 
left  switched  on  during  certain 
hours  for  public  access.  The 
BBS  provides  some  sort  of 
service  to  callers,  such  as 
a  message  center  or  a  library 
of  programs  available  for 
downloading. 

22     COMPUTE! 'i  Gazelle     Septombur  1983 


will  be  available  in  a  few  months. 

Soon,  it  seems,  the  entire 
household  will  function  around 
this  emerging  video/computer/ 
telecommunications  supersys- 
tem  -  what  one  futurist  has 
dubbed  the  "electronic  hearth." 

For  certain,  there  are  social, 
as  well  as  technological,  trends 
which  must  be  considered.  So 
we'll  have  to  wait  and  see  exactly 
how  things  develop.  In  the 
meantime,  though,  this  exciting 
frontier  is  open  to  pioneers.  It's 
similar  to  the  groundbreaking 
days  of  personal  computing  five 
or  six  years  ago. 

Telecomputing  today  is  still 
young.  And  you  can  help  it  grow 


compatible  with  each  other. 
However,  you  probably  won't 
have  to  worry  about  this.  Pro- 
grams to  cover  all  the  standard 
situations  you're  likely  to 
encounter  are  already  written. 
These  programs  act  as  inter- 
preters. They  even  make  it  pos- 
sible for  seemingly  incompatible 
computers,  such  as  Commo- 
dores, Ataris,  Apples,  TRS-80s, 
and  others,  to  communicate  as 
easily  as  United  Nations 
diplomats. 


I 


f  you're  new  to  the  field  of 
telecomputing,  you'll  quickly 
discover  mat  it  shares  something 
unfortunate  with  personal  com- 
puting in  general  -  telecom- 
puting consists  of  a  few  easily 
understood  concepts  obscured  bv 
thickets  of  thorny  terminology. 

We'll  sort  out  the  termi- 
nology in  a  moment  (note  the 
glossary  accompanying  this 
article).  First,  let's  review  the 
basic  concepts: 

i .  Ttoo  or  more  computers  can  be 
hooked  up  to  each  other  with  wires . 

2 .  With  the  proper  programming , 

virtually  any  computers  hooked  up 
in  this  way  can  exchange  virtually 
any  kind  of  in  formation. 

That's  it.  Does  it  seem  loo 
simple?  Believe  it  or  not,  practi- 
cally everything  else  you'll  ever 
read  or  hear  about  telecomputing 
consists  of  extensions  (compli- 
cations) of  these  two  basic 
concepts. 

The  "wires"  which  connect 
the  computers  together  are  usu- 
ally ordinary  telephone  lines, 
just  like  the  ones  in  your  home. 
(But  they  don't  have  to  be:  it's 
possible  to  hook  up  two  com- 
puters across  a  room  or  within  a 
building  using  ordinarv  wires 
with  the  right  plugs  on  the  end.) 

The  "proper  programming" 
is  often  the  hard  part.  The  com- 
puters may  not  be  normally 


N, 


ow,  let's  enlarge  upon  these 
concepts. 

To  communicate  through 
ordinary  telephone  lines,  a  com- 
puter requires  a  device  called  a 
modem.  "Modem"  (rhymes  with 
"load  'em")  means  "modulator- 
d  em  adulator."  When  two  or  more 
computers  are  communicating 
over  the  phone,  each  computer 
requires  its  own  modem  at  its  end 
of  the  line.  The  modem  is  con- 
nected between  the  computer  and 
the  phone  line,  and  it  allows  the 
computer  to  send/receive  in- 
formation to/from  the  other 
computer. 

When  you  are  sending,  the 
modem  takes  the  data  in  the 
form  of  electronic  signals  from 
the  computer  and  converts  it 
into  audio  tones.  Then  the 
modem  sends  the  tones  through 
the  phone  line.  These  tones,  if 
you  hear  them,  sound  like  very 
fast  Morse  code. 

When  you  are  receiving,  the 
modem  takes  the  audio  tones 
sent  by  the  other  computer's 
modem  and  converts  them  back 
into  the  electronic  signals  that 
are  understood  as  data  by  your 
computer. 

This  process  may  sound 
la  miliar.  That's  because  it's  very 
similar  to  the  way  the  computer 
saves  programs  and  other  data 
on  the  cassette  recorder.  During 
a  SAVE,  the  computer's  output 
is  converted  to  audio  tones  which 
are  sent  to  the  recorder  and  re- 
corded on  tape.  During  a  LOAD, 
the  audio  tones  received  from 


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for  Commodore  64  Computers'11 


A  series  of  seven  easy-to-use  Management 
Information  Reports  flexibly  designed  to 
accommodate  all  small  and  medium  size 
business  accounting  requirements. 


•  INVENTORY  MANAGEMENT 

•  SALES  ANALYSIS  MANAGEMENT 

•  ACCOUNTS  RECEIVABLE 
MANAGEMENT  and  INVOICING 

•  ACCOUNTS  PAYABLE 
MANAGEMENT  and 
CHECKWRITING 

•  PAYROLL  MANAGEMENT 

•  CASH  FLOW  MANAGEMENT 
■  GENERAL  LEDGER 

OBJECTIVE  OF  TIMEWORKS 
BUSINESS  SYSTEMS: 

Each  Timeworks  Business  System  is 
designed  to  be  extremely  easy  to  use 
by  anyone,  familiar  or  unfamiliar  with 
computers,  or  even  the  principles  of 
accounting. 

Our  easy-to-understand  "cookbook" 
style  of  prompting  heralds  a 
breakthrough  in  simplicity  for  every 
computer  user  who  arrives  at  the 
conclusion  that  computerization 
offers  invaluable  assistance  in  helping 
their  business  to  operate  more 
effectively  and  efficiently. 


GENERAL  OVERVIEW: 

Each  system  includes: 

•  A  Menu-driven  program, 
sophisticated  enough  to  provide 
complete  Management  and  Product 
information,  yet  requires  no  prior 
computer  or  accounting  knowledge 
to  operate. 

•  A  unique  method  of  creating  your 
own,  unlimited  array  of  reports — 
easily  and  quickly.  YOU  select  the 
information  you  want,  and  YOU 
determine  the  sequence  of  the 
report  column  headings. 

•  A  program  which  can  be  used  by 
itself  (stand-alone),  or  can  be 
interfaced,  one  at  a  time,  with  other 
TIMEWORKS  MANAGEMENT 
INFORMATION  programs  into  a 
fully  integrated  accounting  system. 


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A  Manual  written  in  easy-to- 
understand,  people-friendly 
English,  abundantly  illustrated  to 
provide  further  clarity  and  eliminate 
guesswork. 

Password  Protection,  to  prevent 

unauthorized  access  to  confidential 

data. 

Suggested  Retail  List  at  $99.00  each. 

TIMEWORKS  provides  a  broad  range 
of  software  for  Commodore  64 
computers  in  five  categories: 
Education,  Entertainment, 
Programming,  Home  Management 
and  Business  Systems, 

CUSTOMER  SUPPORT  PLAN 

Timeworks  Telephone  Consulting 
Service  is  available  to  all  users  at  no 
charge  to  support  your  installation 
and  ongoing  operations. 
For  further  details,  contact  your  local 
Dealer  or  TIMEWORKS,  INC.  Choose 
from  a  host  of  COMMODORE  64 
programs 


WRITE  FOR  FREE  ILLUSTRATED 
CATALOG 


TIMEWORKS,  INC. 

P:  0.  Box  321 

405  Lake  Cook  Road 

Deerfield,  IL  60015     (312)291-9200 

'Registered  Tradflmafk  of  Commodore  64  Computer  Systems 


Bell  103  standard:  a  com- 
munications standard  for 
modems.  It  refers  to  modems 
which  can  both  transmit  and 
receive  at  rates  up  to  300  baud. 
I  lome  computer  modems  arc 
generally  of  this  type. 

buffer:  sometimes  called  a 
"text  buffer"  or  "file  buffer," 
this  is  an  area  of  the  com- 
puter's memory  reserved  by 
the  terminal  program  for  up- 
loading or  downloading  files. 
The  buffer  must  be  at  least  as 
large  as  the  file  being  uploaded 
or  downloaded.  Can  also  be 
used  to  "capture"  any  text 
received  from  the  other 
com  pu  ter. 

carrier  detection:  modems 
indicate  they  are  ready  to  es- 
tablish a  communications  link 
by  transmitting  a  "carrier 
signal"  over  the  line.  Some 
modems  have  an  indicator 
light  or  beeper  which  signals 
the  reception  of  a  carrier  signal. 

direct-connect:  a  type  of 
modem  that  attaches  directly 
to  a  telephone  with  a  modular 
phone  cord,  bypassing  the 
handset  and  avoiding  the  need 
of  rubber  cup?.. 

downloading:  opposite  of 
uploading.  A  terminal  soft- 
ware feature  which  allows 
receiving  a  file  from  another 
computer  with  the  modem. 

duplexing:  some  modems 
and  terminal  programs  can  be 
adjusted  for  "half-duplex"  or 
"full-duplex."  This  allows 
you  to  adjust  your  system  for 
computers  which  confirm 
reception  by  "echoing"  back 
to  your  computer  all  the  char- 
acters received.  Change  the 
duplex  adjustment  if  your 
screen  does  not  display  char- 
acters you  type,  or  if  it  displays 
two  characters  for  each  one 
you  type. 

electronic  mail:  also  known  as 
"E-mail."  A  method  of  deliv- 
ering a  message  to  someone 
via  a  computer  and  modem. 

24    COMPUTE!1*  Gazette    September  1983 


An  example  of  an  acoustic  modem,  with 
its  rubber  cup*  fitting  tightly  oil  the 
telephone  handset. 

the  recorder  are  converted  back 
into  the  original  information.  A 
modem  works  the  same  way, 
except  the  tones  and  speed  of 
transmission  are  different.  And, 
of  course,  the  information  is 
being  sent  not  to  a  nearby  cas- 
sette recorder,  but  to  another 
computer  which  can  be  as  far 
away  as  the  furthest  telephone. 

There  are  two  general  types 
of  modems  for  personal  com- 
puters: acoustic  and  direct-connect. 
Acoustic  modems  are  easy  to 
spot  because  they  have  two  rub- 
ber cups  which  fit  over  the  tele- 
phone handset's  earpiece  and 
mouthpiece  (see  photo).  The 
rubber  cups  must  fit  tightly  to 
keep  outside  room  noises  from 
interfering  with  the  audio  tones. 

Direct-connect  modems  do 
not  use  rubber  cups.  Instead, 
they  bypass  the  handset  al- 
together and  connect  directly 
into  the  telephone.  Commo- 
dore's VICmodem,  the  most 
popular  modem  for  the  Commo- 
dore 64  and  VIC-20,  is  of  this 


The  VICmodem  is  an  example  of  a  direct- 
connect  modem  -  it  bypasses  the  tele- 
plume  handset. 


type.  The  VICmodem  is  a  car- 
tridge that  plugs  into  the  rear  of 
the  computer,  and  a  cord  links  it 
with  the  telephone  (see  photo), 
Direct-connect  modems  are 
often  preferred  to  acoustic  mo- 
dems because  they  are  less  vul- 
nerable lo  noise  interference. 
They  are  the  best  choice  when 
the  modem  is  operated  in  a  less- 
than-quiet  environment.  Until 
recently,  acoustic  modems  were 
more  popular  because  ol  their 
lower  cost.  But  new  technology 
has  made  some  direct-connect 
modems  less  costly  than  many 
acoustic  models.  The  VICmodem 
is  widely  available  for  under 
S100  (see  review  in  this  issue). 

U quipped  with  a  modem 
plugged  into  a  telephone,  a  com- 
puter needs  onlv  one  more  thing 
to  be  ready  for  telecommuni- 
cating: the  "proper  program- 
ming" mentioned  above. 

This  program  is  usually  re- 
ferred to  as  terminal  software .  In 
effect,  it  turns  your  computer 
into  a  remote  terminal  of  the 
distant  computer.  Your  com- 
puter is  more  or  less  "disabled" 
as  an  independent  computer 
and  becomes  a  peripheral  or 
external  device  of  the  other  com- 
puter. Everything  you  type  on 
your  keyboard  appears  not  only 
on  your  screen,  but  on  the  other 
computer's  screen  as  well.  And 
everything  typed  on  the  other 
computer's  keyboard  likewise 
appears  on  your  screen. 

Terminal  software  com- 
pletes the  communications  link 
established  by  the  hardware  - 
the  computers  and  the  modems. 
It  works  with  the  modem  to 
translate  the  data  which  is  sent 
and  received.  If  the  two  com- 
puters are  normally  incompatible 
with  each  other  -  say,  if  a  Com- 
modore is  attempting  to  com- 
municate with  an  Atari  -  the 
terminal  program  acts  as  an 
interpreter  to  resolve  the 
differences. 

With  the  right  terminal  soft- 
ware, you  can  communicate 


THE  CUTTING  EDGE 


THE  CONCEPT 
A  series  of  computer  games  in  which 

players  heroine  characters  of  (heir  own 

design,  characters  who  must  grow  in  skill 
ami  wisdom  to  survive  the  challenges 
presented  them.  Characters  developed  in 
the  simpler  of*  the  games  would  he 
transferrahle  to  the  more  difficult  as  their 
abilities  increase.  Rather  than  offering 
one  fixed  goal  in  one  set  maze,  the  soft- 
waif  would  have  to  contain  thousands  of 
potential  goals  and  thousands  of  possible 
pitfalls,  for  thousands  of  hours  of  amuse- 
ment. The  concept,  in  short,  was  for  the 
creation  of  a  series  of  games  unlike  any 
available  in  the  microcomputer  market. 


THE  GAVIES 

demanded  by  such  a  concept  would  be 
unlike  common  software.  They  would  re- 
quire machine-language  speed,  and 
dungeon-master  complex  it  v.  Graphics 
would  have  to  be  an  integral  part  of  the 
adventure,  rather  than  pretty  but  static 
pictures  with  no  real-time  connection  to 
action.  They  would  have  both  a  game-save 
and  character-save  feature.  And,  on 
whatever  machine  they  were  imple- 
mented, the  sort  ware  would  hi  we.  to  have 
the  same  great  graphics,  the  same  speed 
of  command  interpretation,  the  same 
complexity  and  mind-bending  challenge. 
A  stiff  challenge.  But  Scree  nPlay1*1 
found  an  author  up  to  II. 


THE  SERIES 

Called  The  Warrior  of  RAS.  The  programs 
in  the  scries  are  JUXZHIX,  IVYI.Di;, 
KAIV  and  ZIGGURAT.  IHNZHIN  is  the 
simplest  of  the  series,  and  gh'es  the  begin- 
ning warrior  a  chance  to  team  the  teeh- 


IKfXZHIX  is  set  in  a  massive  dungeon. 
WVLDE  takes  place  in  a  trackless 
wilderness.  Subterranean  adventures  are 
presented  hi  KAIV,  and  ZIGGURAT  takes 
place  in  a  giant  pyramid ,  with  an  adven- 
ture so  complex  anil  challenging  even  the 
author  wonders  if  lie  can  ever  complete  it. 

The  Warrior  of  RAS  series.  From 
Randall  Don  Masteller  and  Screen  Play1*'. 

The  choice  is  simple.  Von  can  play  the 
Warrior  of  RAS  games,  or  something  not 
quite  as  good. 


nvxznix. 

K.UV 

W'YLDE  .  .  . 

y.iGGURj\r 


$29.95 
$29.95 
$29.95 
$29.95 


Amilable  in  cassette  versions  for  Atari 
400/800,  Radio  Shock  Model  I  III,  and 
Commodore  04. 

Axxiilohlv  hi  diskette  versions  for  Atari 
400/800,  Ratlin  Shack  Mattel  l/Hl,  Apple 
11+ /He,  flLVI-fcrnmnf  Computer,  ami  Com- 
modore 04. 

Alt  i<ershms  retfidre  48K. 


THE  AUTHOR 

Randall  Don  Masteller,  Well-known 
within  the  close-knit  fraternity  of  non- 
computer  fantasy  role-players,  Masteller 
combines  years  of  professional  program- 
ming experience  with  an  awe-inspiring 
imagination  and  dedication  to  fantasy 
gaming.  No  other  fantasy  role-playing 
game  author  has  skills  comparable  to 
Masteller's,  And  Masteller's  software 
demonstrates  that  skill. 


y  From 
ScreenPtay. 


ScreenPlay" 

A  Uii  is  inn  nl'  Intelligent  S(,iU'iui-nis,  lue. 

P.O.  Box  3358,  Chapel  Hill,  XC  2751-* 

At  dealers  everywhere 
or  call  1-800-334-5470 


SrnvttPlay  k tr  Inidrtiid?*  nfiiuciiJ^'H  gttttmmits,  few  Rndtu slunk,  t* a  rrndcnwrk  itfVmdy  ttorjt.  tknimuKttm-  04  l* u  trwktimrk  ^fCtmtmiMktre  tu/.n,,,.-,  itmfthtr*  Aftple n •  ami  tie mv erwfci 
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Subscribers  to  information 
services  can  write  letters  to 
each  other;  the  letters  are  de- 
livered to  "mailboxes"  -  com- 
puter memory  reserved  for 
this  purpose  -  and  retrieved 
the  next  time  the  person  signs 
onto  the  service, 
information  service:  a  very 
large,  commercially  operated 
BBS  which  offers  many  ser- 
vices to  subscribers  for  an 
hourly  connection  fee.  Some 
of  these  information  utilities 
are  aimed  at  personal  com- 
puter users. 

logging  on:  the  act  of  estab- 
lishing a  communications  link 
between  two  computers 
equipped  with  modems.  Usu- 
ally, "logging  on"  refers  to 
linking  up  with  a  large  main- 
frame computer,  such  as  those 
used  by  universities,  busines- 
ses, or  information  services. 
The  opposite  of  "logging  off." 

modem  (modulator-demod- 
ulator): a  device  which  con- 
nects between  a  computer 
and  a  telephone  to  allow  the 
computer  to  transmit  and  re- 
ceive data  over  ordinary 
phone  lines. 

modular  phone  connections: 

a  standard  system  of  male- 
female  plugs  and  jacks  found 
on  most  modern  telephone 
equipment.  Direct-con neel 
modems  generally  require 
modular  connections.  If  your 
telephone  or  wall  jacks  are 
more  than  several  years  old, 
you  may  have  to  replace  them 
or  buy  adapters. 

remote  data  base:  usually  a 
specialized  information  ser- 
vice which  offers  specific  types 
of  information  to  subscribers 
for  an  hourly  connection  fee. 
Most  of  these  are  aimed  at 
professionals  instead  of  per- 
sonal computer  users. 

RS-232C  interface:  a  serial- 
type  interface  required  by 
some  modems  to  attach  to  a 
computer.  If  the  computer 

26    COMPUTEI'iGaietio    September  1983 


with  almost  any  computer.  This 
includes  not  only  other  personal 
computers,  but  much  larger 
machines  as  well.  College  stu- 
dents can  program  the  univer- 
sity's mainframe  or  minicompu- 
ter from  their  dormitory  room, 
using  an  inexpensive  home  com- 
puter and  modem  as  a  remote 
terminal.  Employees  can  work  at 
home,  accessing  their  business' s 
computer  in  the  same  way.  This 
makes  some  of  the  great  speed 
and  power  of  mainframe  compu- 
ters available  almost  anywhere. 

All  terminal  software  is  not 
programmed  equally,  however. 
Some  terminal  programs  have 
features  which  allow  you  to  do 
more  than  others. 

One  of  the  most  powerful 
features  is  upload  I  download  capa- 
bility. This  permits  you  to  send 
and  receive  files.  Files  can  be 
anything  from  written  letters  to 
actual  programs. 

For  instance,  let's  say  you 
want  to  share  a  new  program 
you've  written  with  a  friend 
across  town  or  across  the  country. 
You  could  mail  the  friend  a  cas- 
sette or  disk.  Or,  if  you  bolh 
have  modems  and  the  proper 
terminal  software,  you  could 
send  it  by  phone.  You  would 
call  up  your  friend,  establish  the 
telecomputing  link  by  activating 
your  modems,  and  "upload,"  or 
send,  the  program. 

At  the  other  end  of  the 
phone  line,  your  friend's  com- 
puter and  modem  would  be 
"downloading"  the  file.  Upload/ 
download  is  like  overpass/ 
underpass;  it  depends  upon  your 
point  of  view.  The  sender  uploads 
as  the  receiver  downloads. 

Usually,  the  terminal  soft- 
ware loads  the  file  off  disk  at  the 
uploading  end  before  sending  it 
through  the  modem.  At  the 
downloading  end,  the  file  is 
then  saved  on  disk  also.  It's  pos- 
sible to  use  a  cassette  recorder  at 
one  or  both  ends,  but  the  relative 
slowness  of  cassettes  becomes  a 
big  disadvantage,  especially 
when  a  long-distance  phone  link 
is  involved. 


Exchanging  files  also  re- 
quires lots  of  memory.  Each 
computer  must  have  enough 
memory  to  hold  both  the  termi- 
nal program  and  the  file.  This 
should  be  no  problem  with  the 
Commodore  64,  but  the  VIC-20 
needs  memory  expansion. 

Note  that  even  two  com- 
puters which  are  normally  in- 
compatible can  exchange  files  in 
this  way.  An  Apple  user  could 
upload  a  message  or  a  program 
to  a  Commodore  user,  for  ex- 
ample. But  remember,  only  the 
phone  link  has  been  standard- 
ized; the  programs  remain  in- 
compatible. Still,  you  might  be 
able  to  modify  the  program  to 
work,  and  it  would  save  lots  of 
typing. 


W, 


hat  else  can  you  do  with  a 
modem? 

One  popular  activity  is 
calling  up  bulletin  board  systems 
(BBS).  A  BBS  is  a  computer  with 
an  auto-answer  modem  that 
offers  some  sort  of  service,  either 
to  anyone  who  calls,  or  to  a  select 
group  of  people  who  know  the 
password. 

Most  bulletin  boards  are 
operated  by  user  groups,  indi- 
vidual hobbyists,  computer 
shops,  or  other  organizations.  A 
computer  is  equipped  with  an 
auto-answer  modem  and  is  left 
on  during  certain  hours,  some- 
times 24  hours  a  day.  When  you 
call,  the  modem  automatically 
answers  the  phone  and  sends  a 
steady  tone.  This  signals  you 
to  activate  your  own  modem, 
setting  up  the  link. 

Once  "on-line,"  the  BBS 
usually  displays  a  welcoming 
message  and  menu  of  choices  on 
your  screen.  The  choices  depend 
on  the  BBS.  It  may  be  a  local 
user  group  BBS  that  offers  mem- 
bers the  latest  news  and  library 
programs  for  downloading.  Or  it 
could  be  a  machine-specific  BBS 
with  news  and  programs  for 
users  of  that  particular  computer. 
Some  bulletin  boards  cater  to 
other  special  interests,  such  as 


Tired  of  chasing  your  tail? 

Ifyoure  looking  for  Commodore  64  or  ViC-2(f 
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vv,..        ■  y%      I  THE  PHARAOHS  CURSE 
Si ;  //  A  fortune — yours  for  the  lak- 

'  '•'  ing.  But  can  you  avoid  the 

ghost  of  Rama  and  the  evil 
i  mummy?  Are  you  nimble 

enough  lo  leap  the  chasms 
and  avoid  the  booby  traps 
standing  between  you  and 
freedom? 


hTfiliflffiTiW*! 


o mmoaore  o  1  ,  a n 
Patrut.  Squeeze  and  Harrier  for  the  VIC-20 ' 
Cartridge  versions  available  soon. 

Other  titles  available  for  the  Atari  400  800 
computers. 


•it* 
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shipping  and  handling.  Or  join 
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membership! 


i/IVOB 

Irsl  multi-player  coop- 
ire  space  adventure. 
e  or  with  your  hand- 
ed crew  (I  to  4  players) 
you  must  out-maneuver  the 
Xenogryph  fleet  and  destroy 
their  space  fortresses.  Can 
you  train  yourself  and/or  your 
crew  to  survive? 


SHAM US 

The  odor  tells  you  the  Shad- 
ow's there  —  In  one  of  four 
levels  of  32  rooms,  each  bris- 
tling with  danger.  You  know 
it  won't  be  a  high  school 
prom,  but  there's  no  turning 
back.  Shamus — the  sleuth 
dventure  classic. 


.kPOCALYPSE 

Your  m Iss ion  —  fly  your  fie! l- 

copter  to  capture  fuel  and 

on*  from  the  Kraal  than 

of  inner  Earth,  free  the 

ved  masses  and  destroy 

.r hrss  itself.  Will  you 

iph  or  be  crushed  by  Its 

fiendish  defenses?  Encounter 

Fort  Apocalypse  I 


PROTECTOR  II 
You  are  the  last  hope!  The 
Fraxulian  Sllmehordes  are 
attacking  your  cities  and 
carrying  on  their  citizens. 
Can  you  get  your  people  to 
safety  as  volcanoes  erupt  and 
y  forces  conspire  to 
t  your  every  effort? 


5221  Central  Avenue,  Ri 


d,  CA  94804  •  (415)  527-7751 


lacks  a  built-in  interface  for  a 
particular  modem,  a  separate 
interface  will  have  to  be 
purchased  to  make  them 
compatible. 

self-testing:  a  modem  feature 
which  determines  if  the  com- 
puter, modem,  and  telephone 
are  hooked  up  and  com- 
municating correctly.  Some 
modems  come  with  a  short 
program  for  this  purpose. 

terminal  software:  a  program 
necessary  to  operate  a  modem 
with  a  personal  computer. 
The  program  makes  the  com- 
puter appear  as  a  remote  ter- 
minal of  the  distant  computer. 
Like  other  software,  terminal 
programs  vary  widely  in  the 
features  they  incorporate, 
uploading:  a  special  feature  of 
some  terminal  software  which 
allows  sending  a  file  from  one 
computer  to  another  with  the 
modem. 


amateur  radio  or  science  fiction. 
Many  allow  you  to  leave  mes- 
sages for  other  callers  to  read. 
There  arc  even  dating  services 
and  "X- rated"  bulletin  boards. 

There  are  also  a  number  of 
Commodore-oriented  bulletin 
boards.  For  a  listing  of  phone 
numbers  and  hours,  see  "Com- 
modore Bulletin  Boards"  in  this 
issue. 

Almost  all  of  these  bulletin 
boards  arc  open  to  virtually  any- 
one. A  few,  however,  require 
passwords  known  only  to  mem- 
bers of  a  certain  organization. 

Besides  these  privately  op- 
erated boards,  there  are  also 
commercial  information  utilities 
which,  in  effect,  are  giant  bulletin 
boards  themselves.  Instead  of 
operating  their  systems  with 
small  personal  computers,  these 
utilities  use  vast  banks  of 
minicomputers  and  mainframes 
which  allow  hundreds  of  callers 

28    COMPUTEI's  Gozotte    September  1983 


to  be  on-line  at  a  time.  They  offer 
wide  varieties  of  services  to  their 
subscribers,  who  pay  an  hourly 
connect  fee. 

Many  of  these  utilities  are 
specialized  data  bases  aimed  at 
business  people  and  profes- 
sionals such  as  scientists  and 
lawyers.  They  can  be  quite  ex- 
pensive -  up  to  $300  an  hour. 

The  most  popular  telecom- 
puting utilities  for  personal  com- 
puter users  are  the  CompuServe 
Information  Service  and  The 
Source.  Some  others  are  the  Dow 
Jones  Information  Service, 
Delphi  (run  by  General  Videotex 
Corporation),  and  the  Dialog 
Information  Service.  Connect 
fees  for  these  utilities  start  at 
about  $5  an  hour  if  you  call  in 
the  evenings  or  on  weekends 
and  holidays.  "Prime  time" 
(business  hours)  costs  more. 

If  you  live  in  a  major  metro- 
politan area  within  the  United 
States,  you  can  usually  reach 
these  utilities  with  a  local  phone 
call.  The  utility  leases  long- 
distance phone  lines  from  each 
area  to  its  central  computers, 
and  the  phone  charges  are  in- 
cluded in  the  hourly  connect 
fee.  In  some  smaller  cities  and 
rural  areas,  you'll  have  to  reach 
the  utility  through  a  long-distance 
network  such  as  Tymnet,  whose 
charges  (about  $2-$3/hour)  are 
added  to  the  hourly  fee. 

It  would  take  a  whole 
magazine  to  list  the  services  of- 
fered by  the  information  utilities. 
There  are  encyclopedias,  news- 
papers from  all  over  the  country, 
business  news  and  stock  reports, 
Associated  Cress  dispatches,  the 
latest  sports  scores,  marine  and 
aviation  weather  reports,  elec- 
tronic mail,  special  interest 
groups,  and  even  party  lines 
and  telegames  (see  related  arti- 
cles in  this  issue). 

Some  modems  or  terminal 
programs  include  a  free  sub- 
scription and  some  free  connect 
time  on  one  or  more  of  the  infor- 
mation utilities  (the  VICmodem 
comes  with  these  bonuses).  This 
is  an  excellent  way  to  find  your 


way  around  and  gel  acquainted 
with  what's  available. 


■ere  are  some  hints  for  those 
who  want  to  get  started  in 
telecomputing: 

•When  choosing  a  modem 
and  terminal  program,  be  certain 
they  will  be  compatible  with 
each  other  and  with  your  com- 
puter. Even  if  the  salesperson 
assures  you  the  combination  will 
work,  make  sure  you  can  return 
everything  if  it  doesn't.  (The 
VICmodem  comes  with  its  own 
terminal  software  for  the  Com- 
modore 64  and  VIC-20.) 

•  If  you  want  features  such 
as  upload/download,  check  be- 
fore you  buy.  VIC-20  users,  espe- 
cially, should  be  sure  they  have 
enough  memory  to  run  the  proper 
terminal  software. 

•  Phone  lines  can  be  tem- 
peramental. The  telephone  sys- 
tem is  a  marvelous  thing,  but 
remember,  it's  a  19th-century 
invention  that  was  originally 
designed  for  voice  transmission, 
not  data  communications.  A 
good  connection  is  essential  for 
telecomputing.  Interference 
which  is  unimportant  for  voice 
purposes  can  easily  confuse  a 
modem.  Unfortunately,  tele- 
phone companies  can  be  difficult 
to  deal  with  on  these  matters.  If 
you  suspect  a  phone  line  prob- 
lem, bolster  your  case  by  veri- 
fying that  your  computer/modem/ 
software  combi nation  works  on 
another  line. 

•  Sometimes  you  can  solve 
an  interference  problem  by 
moving  the  TV  away  from  the 
modem  and  telephone.  TV  sets 
generate  strong  magnetic  fields. 

•  If  your  computer  is  not 
near  a  telephone,  you'll  have  to 
install  an  additional  phone  jack 
or  use  a  phone  extension  cord. 
Try  the  extension  cord  first;  it's 
cheaper.  But  if  the  additional 
wire  causes  interference  prob- 
lems, you  may  have  to  resort  to 
another  jack.  (Q 


. .  with  a  wing  load  of  Quality  software 
for  the  Commodore  64  and  VIC  20' 

Once  you've  compared  our  programs,  their  features  and 
prices,  you'll  agree  there's  no  competition  in  sight.  You'll  also 

discover  another  important  reason  to  go  TOTI Customer 

Assistance  After  You  Buy  ..Something  nearly  unknown  in  the 
low  cost  software  field. 

some  features 

Menu  driven.  Easy  to  use  ■  Available  on  tape  or  disk  ■  Com- 
patible With  Most  Column  Expansion  Hardware  ■  Built- 
in  ASCII  Translation  for  Non  Commodore  Hardware  ■  Color 
Variables  for  Easy  Modification  ■  Machine  language  speed  for 
Word  Processing  and  Mailing  List  &  Label  software, 

and  there  are  5  uniQiie  programs  to  choose  from 

7.  WORD  PROCESSING  has  the  speed  and  versatility  to  produce 
documents,  forms  and  letters  in  a  straightforward  approach  thai 

is  easily  and  Quickly  learned. 

2.  MAILING  LIST  AND  LABEL  lots  you  organizo  your  mailing 

lists,  colloction  catalogs,  monus,  recipes  and  anything  lhat  de- 
mands listing  or  sorting. 

3.  TOTL  TIME  MANAGER  helps  you  plan  schedules  and  analyze 

events  and  activities  by  persons,  projecl  category  and  date. 
Ideal  for  projecl  planning  in  the  home  or  business. 

4.  RESEARCH  ASSISTANT  turns  your  computer  into  an  ad- 
vanced, automated  indexing  and  cross  reference  system. 
A  must  for  the  student,  educator  or  the  rosoarch  professional. 

5.  SMALL  BUSINESS  ACCOUNTING  is  a  set  of  straightforward 
accounting  programs.  Frees  the  salesman,  ontropronour 
or  service  professional  from  time  consuming  record  keeping 
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To  store  joysticks  just  turn  them 
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The  slide  out  software  tray  has  room  for  14  cartridges  or  cassettes 

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Commodore's 
Nationwide  Party  Line 

Reaching  Out 

And  Touching  Someone 

In  The  Computer  Age 


John  Blackford,  Assistant  Features  Editor 


Personal  computer  users  love  to  share  ideas, 
and  one  way  to  get  together  is  by  telecomputing 
(see  "Telecomputing  Today,"  also  In  this 
issue).  The  latest  rage  is  computerized  "bul- 
letin boards,"  through  which  users  can  "talk" 
with  each  other  and  leave  messages  by  hooking 
their  computers  together  over  phone  lines. 
Especially  popular  is  a  bulletin  board  spon- 
sored by  Commodore  on  the  CompuServe  In- 
formation Service.  It  lets  Commodore  users 
from  all  over  the  country  join  together  in  a 
modern  version  of  the  old-fashioned  party 
line. 


To  get  a  feel  for  the  Commodore  Special 
Interest  Group  bulletin  board  on  Compu- 
Serve, I  signed  on  for  a  few  evenings 
and  weekends  with  a  Commodore  64 
and  VICmodem.  Unfamiliar  with  CompuServe,  1 
at  first  waded  through  a  number  of  menus  that 
list  possible  options  on  the  information  service. 
But  using  the  menus  to  get  around  is  sometimes 
like  taking  a  slow  boat  to  China  -  and  since  you 
pay  by  the  hour  on  CompuServe,  it  saves  both 
time  and  money  to  go  directly  to  the  section  you 
want.  Now  when  1  sign  on,  I  type  CO  CBM  6  to 
jump  straight  to  the  Commodore  "board."  After 

30     COMPUTE'S  Gazette     September  1983 


specifying  my  computer  type  (CBM,  64,  or  VIC), 
I'm  on-line. 

There  are  several  options  to  choose  from. 
You  can  record  a  message  or  read  messages  al- 
ready on  the  board.  Some  people  even  leave  an 
address  and  phone  number  so  others  can  contact 
them  directly.  I  left  a  message  that  I  was  writing 
about  the  bulletin  board  and  would  like  to  hear 
from  other  people. 

Within  an  hour,  user  Chris  Scott  had  fired  off 
an  answer:  "How  seductive  and  addictive  the 
SIGs  (Special  Interest  Groups)  and  bulletin  boards 
are... I'm  developing  friendships  across  the 
nation...." 

There's  a  fine  sense  of  camaraderie  on  the 
boards,  and  users  seem  more  than  willing  to  help 
each  other  out  with  problems.  In  addition,  the 
bulletin  board's  system  operator  (sysop),  who  goes 
by  the  name  of  "Betty  Knight,"  will  answer  ques- 
tions, too.  You  leave  messages  for  the  sysop  on 
the  Hotline  section  of  the  bulletin  board.  The 
operator  responds  by  leaving  another  message, 
usually  within  24  hours. 

If  anyone  responds  to  your  message,  the 
system  tells  you.  This  permits  long  chains  of  dis- 
cussion to  grow  on  a  particular  topic.  One  user 
wants  to  know  how  to  connect  a  certain  type  of 
printer  to  his  Commodore  64,  and  over  the  course 
of  a  few  days  a  mini-seminar  on  printers  develops, 


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each  message  linked  to  the  one  before  it.  Some- 
times these  discussions  remain  between  two  indi- 
viduals, but  often  a  number  of  people  from  all 
over  the  country  join  the  circle. 

There  arc  plenty  of  new  VIC- 20  and  Commo- 
dore 64  owners  looking  for  help,  and  many  of 
them  are  using  the  bulletin  board  to  compare 
notes.  They  are  talking  about  everything: 
hardware,  software,  and  even  whether  to  visit 
someone  they  met  on  the  board.  For  those  who 
can't  wait  for  a  reply,  there's  even  the  "realtime" 
Conference  Area  that's  like  a  cross-country  parly 
line.  People  talk  to  each  other  through  their 
keyboards  and  screens,  forming  a  nationwide 
telecomputing  "community." 

do  how  can  you  get  on-line  with  the  Commodore 
"board"?  All  you  need  is  a  modem  and  a  sub- 
scription to  CompuServe.  You  get  both  with  the 
inexpensive  VICmodem,  which  works  with  the 
VIC-20  and  Commodore  64  (see  review  in  this 
issue). 

A  few  hints: 

First,  plug  the  VICmodem  into  your  computer 
while  the  power  is  off  to  avoid  the  possibility  of 
damage.  Then  power  up  and  load  the  VIC-TERM 
software  that  comes  with  the  VICmodem,  or  one 
of  the  terminal  programs  included  in  this  issue 
{"MiniTerm-20"  for  the  VIC;  "TeleTerm  64"  for 
the  Commodore  64).  All  of  these  allow  you  to 
communicate  with  CompuServe,  The  Source, 
Delphi,  other  computers  equipped  with  modems, 
and  the  scores  of  other  remote  bulletin  board  sys- 
tems scattered  around  the  continent  (a  list  of  some 
Commodore-oriented  bulletin  boards  follows  this 
article). 

Now,  dial  the  CompuServe  phone  number. 
This  is  a  local  call  in  most  metropolitan  areas.  In 
other  places,  you  may  have  to  tie  into  CompuServe 
through  an  intermediate  long-distance  network 
such  as  Tymnet,  which  adds  a  surcharge.  You 
can  find  out  if  CompuServe  has  a  local  number  in 
your  area  by  calling  1-800-848-8199. 

When  the  CompuServe  computer  answers 
the  phone,  you'll  hear  a  high-pitched  tone.  Un- 
plug the  coiled  phone  cord  from  the  handsel  (the 
part  you  talk  into),  and  plug  it  into  the  socket  at 
the  back  of  the  modem.  Make  sure  your  modem 
is  set  to  "O"  for  originate.  (If  your  coiled  phone 
cord  doesn't  unplug,  you'll  need  a  telephone  with 
modular  jacks.) 

Immediately  type  a  "CONTROL-C"  (by 
holding  down  the  CTRL  key  while  pressing  C). 
VIC-TERM  and  MiniTerm-20  allow  you  to  do  the 
same  thing  by  pressing  the  fl  special  function 
key.  The  CompuServe  computer  should  now  re- 
quest your  user  ID  and  password,  allowing  you 

32     COMPUTE!'!  Gazette     September  1 983 


to  log  on.  The  ID  and  password  are  part  of  the 
VICmodem  package,  along  with  an  hour  of  free 
time  on  CompuServe.  If  you  don't  see  the  "User 
ID"  prompt  within  a  minute  or  two,  recheck  your 
connections  and  call  again.  If  you  still  can't  sign 
on,  phone  CompuServe's  toll-free  number  for 
help. 

If  you've  done  everything  correctly  and  made 
the  connection,  the  next  thing  you'll  see  is  Compu- 
Serve's main  menu.  The  main  menu  gives  Compu- 
Serve's primary  options.  Each  option  leads  to 
further  menus,  so  to  reach  your  destination  you 
follow  what's  called  a  "tree"  of  choices.  The  main 
menu  is  like  the  trunk,  and  each  additional  menu 
takes  you  to  ever  more  distant  branches. 

The  Commodore  SIG  bulletin  board  -  as  with 
all  parts  of  CompuServe  -  can  be  reached  through 
the  menus  (choose  the  "Personal  Computing" 
option  from  the  main  menu  and  follow  the  in- 
structions). Or,  as  mentioned  before,  you  can 
jump  right  to  the  Commodore  bulletin  board  with 
the  GO  CBM-6  command.  CompuServe  is  or- 
ganized into  "pages"  of  screens,  and  CBM-6  is 
page  6  of  the  Commodore  SIG  -  the  menu  page 
for  the  three  types  of  Commodore  computers. 

W  hen  you  first  enter  the  SIG  of  your  choice 
(CBM,  64,  or  VIC),  you'll  be  greeted  with  a  menu 
that  allows  you  to  leave  a  message,  respond  to  a 
message,  or  read  messages.  If  you  elect  to  read 
messages,  the  system  will  say  there  are  messages 
numbered,  say,  1386  through  3404.  You  can  either 
page  through  them  one  at  a  time,  begin  at  a  certain 
number,  or  go  to  a  specific  message  number. 

It's  fun  the  first  time  on  the  SIG  to  page 
through  the  list,  perusing  every  message  regard- 
less of  category.  But  this  does  take  time,  since  the 
information  is  coming  in  at  only  300  baud  (about 
30  characters  per  second,  slower  than  most  people 
can  read).  Also,  when  CompuServe  is  busy,  re- 
sponse time  slows  noticeably  -  despite  the  sys- 
tem's powerful  mainframe  computers,  which  run 
simultaneously  to  handle  the  load. 

To  speed  things  up,  you  need  to  learn  a  little 
more  about  the  SIG.  You  can  order  manuals  on 
the  SIGs  from  CompuServe,  and  they  are  worth 
getting.  But  while  you  are  on-line,  it's  easy  to  find 
your  way  through  the  system  by  using  the  in- 
structions on  file  there,  and  by  using  the  Help 
function.  For  a  mini-course  on  the  Commodore 
SIG,  tvpe  C,  CBM  1  if  you  are  already  on  the  SIG, 
or  GO  CBM  1  when  you  first  sign  onto  Compu- 
Serve. You  will  see  the  main  CBM  menu  -  which 
includes  the  "Introduction  to  the  SIG,"  a  "Survival 
Kit"  on  using  SIG  commands,  and  the  Hotline. 

First  select  option  1  from  the  menu  for  the 
Introduction.  When  you  have  a  grasp  of  the  basics, 


WHAT  MAGAZINE 

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Commodore  Bulletin  Boards 


Compiled  by  Kathy  Yakal,  Editorial  Assistant 


'['here  are  hundreds  of  computer  bulletin  board 
systems  (BBS)  in  North  America.  Most  of  (hum 
are  operated  by  user  groups  or  hobbyists 
who  hook  up  a  personal  eompuler  to  an  auto- 
answer modem.  When  you  call  the  BBS,  the 
modem  answers  with  a  tone,  signaling  you 
to  switch  your  own  computer  "on-line." 
'["hen,  depending  on  the  BBS,  there  are  all 
kinds  of  things  you  can  do.  Some  bulletin 
boards  offer  the  latest  news  or  gossip  on  a 
certain  topic;  others  even  make  it  possible 
for  callers  to  download  programs  for  free. 
There  is  a  BBS  for  almost  any  interest. 


By  using  a  modem  with  your  Commo- 
dore 64  or  VIC-20,  you  can  gain  access  to 
most  of  these  bulletin  boards.  In  addition, 
there  are  many  Commodore-oriented  bulletin 
boards.  They  allow  you  to  download  pro- 
grams for  Commodore  computers  and  to 
distribute  news  and  information  of  special 
interest  to  Commodore  owners.  Here  is  a  list 
of  some  of  them.  If  you  know  of  a  Commo- 
dore BB5  that  has  been  omitted,  or  of  one 
which  is  just  starting  up,  please  let  us  know. 
They  will  be  listed  in  a  future  issue. 


COLORADO 

Front  Range  Bulletin  Board  (Ft.  Collins) 

(303)  223-4305 

24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week, 

ILLINOIS 

Commodore  Public  Bulletin  Board  System 

(Chicago) 
(312)397-0871 
24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week. 

Video  King  (Chicago) 

(312)674-6502 

24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week. 

INDIANA 

AVC  Computer  Center  Bulletin  Board 
(Indianapolis) 

(317)255-5435 

24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week. 

MASSACHUSETTS 
MASSFEF  Bulletin  Board  (Boston) 

(617)  824-4878 

7  p.m.  -  9  a.m.  Monday  through  Friday,  24  hours 

on  weekends. 

MISSOURI 

Commodore  Communications  (St.  Louis) 

(314)  625-4576 

24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week. 

Kansas  City  Flit  User  Croup  Bulletin  Board 

(816)257-2502 

24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week. 

TEXAS 

RPCC 

(214)  996-6808 

24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week. 


UTAH 

Commodore  Utah  Bulletin  Board  (Salt  Fake  City) 

(801)277-3913 

24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week. 

WASHINGTON 

Northwest  Commodore  User  Group  Bulletin 

Board  (Edmonds) 
{206)743-6021 
24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week. 

WISCONSIN 

C.U.S.S.H.  (Racine) 

(414)  554-9520 

24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week. 

WYOMING 

Southeast  Wyoming  Commodore  Bulletin  Board 

(307)  637-6045 

24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week. 

CANADA 

ASC  Microsystems  Bulletin  Board  {Thunder  Bay, 

Ontario) 
(807)345-7199 

6  p.m.  -  8:30  a.m.  Monday  through  Wednesday; 
9  p.m.  -  8:30  a.m.  Thursday  through  Friday; 

24  hours  on  weekends  and  holidays. 

Nortek  Bulletin  Board 

(416)  487-2593 

24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week. 

PSI  Word  Fro  Bulletin  Board  (Toronto,  Ontario) 
(416)624-5431 

7  p.m.  -9  a.m.  Monday  through  Friday,  24  hours 
on  weekends. 

TPUG  Bulletin  Board  (Toronto) 

(416)  223-2625 

24  hours  a  day,  7  days  a  week. 


34    COMPUm'tGaielte    September  1983 


PROGRAMS 

WITH 
THE  WORKS 


VMS.  Pun  Software 


COMMODORE  64,  VIC  20, 

Writing  good  programs  is  not  an  easy  task.  Introducing 
INSIDE  BASIC,  a  series  of  well  documented  programs 
which  include:  program  overviews,  suggested 
changes,  line-by-line  descriptions,  listings,  and  vari- 
able charts.  Learn  the  workings  of  a  well-designed 
program  in  order  to  create  your  own.  There's  some- 
thing for  everyone— games,  business  applications, 
and  educational  programs. 

KENTUCKY  DERBY-S19.95:  All  the  fun  of  a  day  at  the 
races  including  hi-rosolution  graphics.  You  and  your 
friends  can  have  hours  of  enjoyment  betting  on  your 
favorite  horses  and  winning  big  bucks!  You  can  even 
change  the  names  of  the  horses  for  more  fun. 

FORM  GENERATOR-$19.95:  The  preparation  of  forms 
can  be  a  mess,  With  this  easy-to-use  program  you  can 
generate  anything  from  labels  to  invoices. 

TASK  ORGANIZER— $24.95:  This  useful  program  keeps 
you  on  top  of  your  work  schedule.  Enter  new  tasks  and 
projects  with  deadlines  and  track  them  through 
completion,  Automatically  lists  jobs  in  priority  order. 

QUIZ  ME— $14.95:  This  is  the  ideal  program  to  demon- 
strate the  computer's  ability  to  present  materials,  ask 
questions,  and  score  you.  After  learning  this  one,  you 
can  make  a  quiz  for  any  subject. 

ASK  YOUR  DEA11R  OR  ORDER  DIRECT:  Specify  program  bfana  o>  computet, 
cassette  of  disk  (add  35  00  loi  disk)  Sena  check  «  money  otaet-odd  S2  00 
snipping  and  handling  COD  and  credit  cord  Ofdets  call  (215)  825-4250  (add 
SI  SO  service  charge)  PA  MJ  fesidenls  add  6%  sales  to* 

Commodate  M  and  VIC  20  ore  registered  trodomaiks  of  Commodoro  Business 
Machines  Atari  .=00/8007 1 200  ore  troaematKs  of  Atair.  inc. 


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WHI1EMABSH.  PA.  19426 
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PLAYFUL  MADE  USEFUL 


Stop  playing  games  and  start  programming  your 
Commodore'"1  with  PC-DocuMate™,  the  keyboard 
template  designed  with  the  new  programmer  in 
mind.  PC-DocuMate™  surrounds  the  keyboard 
with  logically  formatted,  comprehensive  reference 
data.  The  essential  information  you  need  is  at  your 
fingertips.  Programming  your  V!C-20^'  or  Commo- 
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BASIC  statements  and 
options  are  documented 


Complete  reference  lor 
MUSIC  programming 


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FEATURES 

•  Control  keys  defined 

•  BASIC  language  reference 
(Commands/Statements/ 

Functions) 

•  Music  programming  guide 

•  Screen  memory  map 

•  Color  graphics  reference 

•  VIC-20*  and  CBM-64® 
versions 


Color  and  character 
SCREEN  map  defined 


PC-DOCUMATE  ™  fS  ONLY  M2.95  ^^ 

Please  send  personal  check,  money  order,  or  credit  card 
information.  Specify  VIC-20®  or  Commodore-64,&  version, 
Foreign  orders  add  S5.00  (except  Canada).  No  COD's  please. 
Telephone  orders:  Call  91 9/787-7703.  Ncrasiaenisij(fd4%5akw  m. 

No-Risk,  Moneyback  Often  If  you  are  not  completely 
satisfied,  return  your  PC-DocuMater>,to  us  (undamaged)  within 
1 0  days  (or  a  lull  refund. 


I L_J 


Systems  Management  Associates 

3700  Computer  Drive 
P.O.  Box  20025,  Dept.  H-1 
Raleigh,  N.C.  27619 


MM 


return  to  the  menu  and  choose  option  2,  Survival 
Kit,  which  is  another  menu.  Select  option  3  from 
that  menu  for  an  explanation  of  the  bulletin  board. 
You  can  run  through  these  sections  in  about  half 
an  hour,  and  you'll  save  many  limes  that  after 
only  a  session  or  two. 

One  of  the  first  things  you'll  notice  when 
using  the  system  is  that  there  are  two  sets  of  com- 
mands, one  for  the  main  area  of  CompuServe  and 
another  for  the  Commodore  SIC.  CompuServe 
prompts  you  to  enter  a  command  with  an  excla- 
mation point  {!),  while  the  SIG  prompts  you  by 
printing  Function:  on  your  screen.  You  don't  need 
the  CompuServe  commands  to  use  the  bulletin 
board,  other  than  the  GO  command  to  get  to  the 
SIG. 

Once  you  are  on  the  SIG,  you  can  get  addi- 
tional help  as  you  proceed  by  entering  a  question 
mark  (?)  at  the  Function:  prompt.  The  system  will 
then  list  options  available  to  you  at  that  point. 
You  can  also  gel  specific  information  about  com- 
mands by  typing  "?"  followed  bv  the  command  - 
for  example  "?R"  will  tell  you  about  the  Retrieve 
command. 

When  you  can  move  around  the  SIG  easily, 
you're  ready  to  streamline  your  technique.  Instead 
of  paging  through  the  messages  one  by  one,  for 
example,  you  can  search  them  selectively  by 
typing  SF  for  Search  Forward.  When  the  system 
prompts  Search  Field:,  you  respond  with  either  F 
(From),  T  (To),  or  S  (Subject).  Every  message  be- 
gins with  those  three  categories,  so  you'll  be  able 
to  search  every  message.  Next,  the  system 
prompts  Search  String,  to  which  you  respond  by 
typing  a  word.  CompuServe's  computer  then 
searches  the  category  you  choose,  looking  for  the 
desired  word. 

When  the  computer  finds  a  match,  it  shows 
you  the  heading  in  question  and  asks  if  you  want 
to  continue  or  reply.  When  the  search  is  complete, 
you  will  have  a  chance  to  look  at  the  entire  mes- 
sage. A  similar  command  is  KS,  Retrieve  Selec- 
tively -  but  instead  of  getting  only  the  headers, 
you'll  get  the  entire  message  each  time  the  com- 
puter finds  a  match.  With  these  two  commands, 
you  can  retrieve  messages  of  interest  to  you  with- 
out having  to  waste  a  lot  of  time  looking  through 
the  entire  list. 

A  he  CompuServe  subscription  that  comes  with 
the  VICmodem  is  only  temporary,  and  you  can 
use  up  your  free  hour  of  connect  time  pretty  fast 
if  you  spend  much  time  exploring  the  Commodore 
bulletin  board  and  other  CompuServe  offerings. 

When  your  free  hour  on  CompuServe  is  used 
up,  you  can  subscribe  permanently  at  no  extra 
charge.  When  you  first  log  onto  CompuServe, 
you'll  be  asked  either  to  sign  up  permanently 
(option  1)  or  go  directly  to  the  main  menu  (option 

36    COMPUTE!1*  Gazette    September  19S3 


2).  Option  1  immediately  gives  you  two  more 
hours  with  your  current  password  -  at  the  normal 
charge  of  $5  per  hour.  After  signing  up,  you'll  get 
a  new  password  and  ID  number  in  a  couple  of 
weeks. 

At  $5  an  hour,  you  am  run  up  a  sizable  bill  if 
you  lose  track  of  time.  But  it's  lots  of  fun  -  like 
having  an  electronic  mailbox  with  hundreds  of 
pen  pals  at  your  fingertips,  plus  a  static-free  CB 
radio  with  a  range  of  3000  miles. 

As  Chris  Scott  says,  "You've  just  got  to  return 
to  see  your  friends. "(ffl 


'    V1C-20  -  GAMES  -  Software    > 

Or  El.LO  —  Cootfengfnd.  (xkirdr/u  fiji"  Great  3raphia,&SGundw  Time*  Uses paddles  2 
pW>»        J14.95 

BLACKJACK  —  Casino  snV  card  gamp  usmg  fall  size  tutor  fords  u.  sound  Uses 
Knlnard  8K-    SU-95 

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HANGMAN       Lemti  to  spelt  wh.-te  TinJLJrig  tun  Animated    w  sound 514.95 

WORD  SEARCH  PU/ZL.F  MAKFH  tUdr  &  Seek  uW  »un»>  Vim  w/ivf  r*u> 
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'US'llNdlOKMATim  Al'tiu--.  I'i'lii  ,'i'irifl"  mJMu.'.'jir.i'idjnuliiirii  ,'mli'  VIC  J.*) 
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pagination  Requires  BK* 519.95 

SOUND  EXPERIMENTLR        Si-f   t:!i'    «  voices  sound  uiMr  diirfayms  ttar  graph 

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■  Adds  24  commands 
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Full  featured  music 
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Easy  entry  and 
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Create  Pie, Bar  and 
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resolution. 
Enter,  edit,  save  and 
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Choose  any  of  8  chart 
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Produce  hard  copy 
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$42.95  DISK  ONLY 


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Screen  copy  lo  1515. 

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For  postage  &  handling,  add  $1 .50 
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September  1 983    COMPUTE!'*  Gazette    37 


THE  BEGINNER'S  CORNER 


C.  REGENA 


POKEing  Graphics 


In  my  first  column,  1  discussed  PRINTing 
graphics.  Another  way  to  put  graphics  or  text  on 
the  screen  is  to  use  the  POKE  command.  This 
method  is  especially  useful  in  animation. 

The  format  for  the  POKE  command  is  POKE 
nl,n2  where  nl  is  a  memory  address  and  n2  is  a 
numeric  value.  Some  POKE  commands  are  used 
for  music  and  sound,  as  discusssed  last  month.  If 
we  use  different  address  numbers,  the  POKE  will 
not  create  sound  but  will  have  another  function. 

First,  let's  try  POKE  36879, n2  where  n2  can 
be  a  number  from  8  to  255  (with  a  few  missing 
numbers  in  between).  This  POKE  command  will 
change  the  screen  and  border  colors  on  the  VIC- 20. 
The  chart  on  page  134  in  your  manual,  Persona! 
Computing  on  the  VJC-20,  tells  what  value  to  POKE 
to  get  different  results.  On  the  Commodore  64, 
you  type  POKE  53280, n2  to  change  the  border 
color,  and  POKE  53281, n2  to  change  the  screen 
color,  where  n2  is  any  number  from  0  to  15. 

Let's  try  a  few: 


For  the  VIC  20 

POKE  36879,78 
POKE  36879,15 


For  the  64 

POKE  53281,12 
POKE  53280,1 


To  get  back  to  normal,  just  press  RUN/STOP 
and  RESTORE,  or  type  POKE  36879,27  on  the 
VIC.  On  the  64,  POKE  53280,14  and  POKE 
53281,6. 

Here  is  a  program  to  see  all  the  combinations: 

VIC  Version 

10  FOR  1=8  TO  248  STEP  lb 

12  FOR  J=I  TO  1+7 

14  POKE  36879, J 

16  FOR  D=l  TO  200: NEXT  D 

18  NEXT  J, I 

20  POKE  36879,27 

38     COMPUTE!':  Gazette     September  1983 


64  Version 

10  FOR  1=0  TO  15 
15  POKE  53281, I  i 
20  FOR  J=0  TO  15 
30  POKE  53280, J  : 


REM  SET  SCREEN  COLOR 


REM  SET  BORDER  COLOR 


40  FOR  D=l  TO  200: NEXT  D 
50  NEXT  J, I 

Simple  Graphics 

Now  let's  put  some  graphics  on  the  screen.  You'll 
have  to  have  your  manual  handy.  Eor  the  VIC, 
look  at  page  144.  For  the  64,  turn  to  page  138. 

For  the  VIC,  the  upper  rectangle  represents 
the  screen  of  23  rows  by  22  columns;  for  the  64, 
the  block  represents  the  screen  of  25  rows  by  40 
columns.  Each  location  number  is  obtained  by 
adding  the  row  and  column  numbers.  This  is  the 
nl  number  you  need  for  the  POKE  location.  For 
example,  to  POKE  to  row  10,  column  4,  we  would 
use  an  nl  of  7878  +4  =  7882  for  the  VIC,  and  an  nl 
of  1384  +  4  =  1388  for  the  64. 

Refer  to  pages  141-142  in  the  VIC-20  manual, 
or  pages  132-134  in  the  64  manual  for  a  chart  of 
character  codes  for  the  n2  number  in  the  POKE 
command.  Look  under  the  SET1  column  heading 
for  a  symbol  you  want  to  print.  Find  the  corre- 
sponding number  in  the  POKE  column.  For  ex- 
ample, to  draw  a  spade,  the  number  is  65. 

You  now  have  the  parameters  for  a  POKE 
command  in  graphics.  Let's  put  a  spade  in  row 
10,  column  4.  We  know  that  the  command  on  the 
VIC  is  POKE  7882,65  and  on  the  64  it  is  POKE 
1388,65. 

The  only  problem  is  that  when  you  draw 
graphics  this  way,  you  won't  be  able  to  see  them 
(except  on  a  small  number  of  64s).  This  is  because 
the  graphics  character  you  POKEd  in  is  the  same 
color  as  the  screen  "background,"  which  makes 
the  character  impossible  to  see.  Onv  solution  is  to 


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change  the  screen  color  after  POKEing  in  the 
graphics. 

For  example: 

VIC  Version 


10  PRINT" [CLR] " 
20  POKE  7882,65  : 
30  POKE  36879,47 

LOR  TO  RED 
40  GOTO  40 

64  Version 

10  PRINT" [CLR ]" 
20  POKE  1388,65 
30  POKE  53281,1  ; 

OR  TO  WHITE 
40  GOTO  40 


REM  DRAWS  WHITE  SPADE 
REM  CHANGES  SCREEN  CO 


REM  DRAWS  SPADE 

REM  CHANGES  SCREEN  COL 


Press  the  RUN/STOP  key  to  stop  the  program. 
Press  RUN/STOP  and  RESTORE  at  the  same  time 
to  return  to  the  "normal"  screen  colors. 

Changing  Colors 

Suppose  you  like  your  regular  colored  screen  and 
want  to  draw  graphics.  You  can  change  the  color 
of  your  character  by  POKEing  a  memory  location 
with  a  color  code.  Refer  to  your  manual  again  - 
bottom  of  page  144  for  the  VIC,  bottom  of  page 
139  for  the  64.  You  will  find  a  color  codes  memory 
map.  Fach  screen  location  has  a  number  (obtained 
by  adding  the  row  and  column  numbers  shown) 
for  keeping  track  of  color;  this  will  be  our  nl 
number  for  our  color  POKE.  The  color  codes  are 
listed  on  page  143  for  the  VIC,  and  at  the  top  of 
page  139  for  the  64.  This  color  code  will  be  our  n2 
number  for  our  color  POKE. 

For  example,  let's  use  our  same  spade  on 
row  10,  column  4.  Find  the  color  memory  number 
corresponding  with  screen  location  7882  on  the 
VIC,  and  1388  on  the  64.  Counting  10  rows  down, 
you  should  see  a  38598  in  the  VIC-20  manual  and 
a  55656  in  the  64  guide.  Adding  4,  we  get  38602 
for  the  VIC,  and  55660  for  the  64.  Note  that  the 
difference  between  corresponding  screen  and 
color  locations  will  always  be  30720  and  54272  for 
the  VIC  and  64  respectively. 

So,  to  put  a  red  spade  on  the  screen,  we  could 
use  this  program: 

VIC  Version 

10  PRINT"{ CLR }" 
20  POKE  7882,65 
30  POKE  38602,2 

64  Version 

10  PRINT" (CLR}" 
20  POKE  1388,65 
30    POKE    55660,2 

You  can  flash  an  object  by  changing  the  color 
codes.  Try  the  following  program: 

40     COMPUTE!'*  Gazehe     September  1983 


VIC  Version 

10  PRINT" [CLR] " 

20  POKE  7882,65 

25  FOR  C=l  TO  20 

26  FOR  D=l  TO  100:  NEXT  D 

28  POKE  38602,1 

29  FOR  D=l  TO  100:  NEXT  D 

30  POKE  38602, 2 
35  NEXT  C 

64  Version 

10  PRINT" [ CLR ]" 

20  POKE  1388,65 

25  FOR  C=l  TO  20 

26  POKE  55660,6 

27  FOR  D=l  TO  100: NEXT  D 

28  POKE  55660,1 

29  FOR  D=l  TO  100: NEXT  D 
35  NEXT  C 


You  are  now  ready  to  sketch  a  design  of  your 
own  and  then  POKE  values  to  draw  your  picture. 
Here  is  a  sample  program: 


VIC  Version 

0    12    3    4    5 


64  Version 

0    12    3    4    5 


7680 

7702 

7724 

7746 

" 

r- 

7768 

7790 

/ 

7812 

1024 

1064 

1104      " 

1144 

1184 

1224   /_       \ 

1264 

VIC  Version 


10  PRINT 
12  L  =  3 
14  POKE 
16  POKE 
18  POKE 
20  POKE 
22  POKE 
24  POKE 
26  POKE 
28    GOTO 


"{CLR]" 

0720 

7726,87 

7748,102 

7770,102 

7747,64: 

7749,64: 

7791,78: 

7793,77: 

28 


POKE7726+L,2 

POKE7748+L.6 
:POKE7770+L,6 
PQKE7747+-L,6 
POKE7749+L.6 
POKE7791+L,6 
POKE7793+L,6 


64  Version 


5  POKE  53 281,1: REM  WHITE  SCREEN 
10  PRINT" [CLR]" 
L  =  54272 

POKE  1106,87:POKE1106+L,2 
1146, 102 ; POKE1146+L, 6 
1186,102:POKE1186+L,6 
1145,64:POKE1145+L,6 


12 
14 
16 
18 
20 
22 
24 
26 
28 


POKE 
POKE 
POKE 
POKE 
POKE 
POKE 
GOTO 


1147,64: 
1225,78: 
1227,77: 
28 


POKE1147+L,6 
POKE1225+L.6 
POKE1227+L,6 


To  try  animation,  change  the  graphics  by 
POKEing  different  characters  or  by  drawing  and 
erasing  characters  to  move  the  graphics.  Change 
the  above  program  by  adding  the  following  lines  - 
can  our  guy  fly? 


Your  VIC-20 
never  played  like 

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VIC  Version 

28  FOR  1=1  TO  50 
30  POKE  7747,99 
32  POKE  7749,99 
34  POKE  7747,64 
36  POKE  7749,64 
38  NEXT  I 
40  GOTO  40 


64  Version 

28  FOR  1=1  TO  50 
30  POKE  1145,99 
32  POKE  1147,99 
34  POKE  1145,64 
36  POKE  1147,64 
38  NEXT  I 
40  GOTO  40 


The  Character  Sets 

Two  character  sets  are  available  for  graphics,  but 
only  one  set  can  be  on  the  screen  at  a  time.  You 
probably  have  discovered  that  if  you  have  some 
printing  on  the  screen  and  you  press  the  COM- 
MODORE key  and  the  SHIFT  key  at  the  same 
time,  all  capital  letters  change  to  lowercase  letters. 
The  first  condition  is  Character  Set  I,  and  the  sec- 
ond condition  is  Character  Set  2. 

Before  you  start  drawing  your  graphics, 
POKE  36869,242  will  change  to  the  lowercase 
mode,  or  Set  2  on  the  VIC.  To  return  to  Set  1,  use 
POKE  36869,240.  On  the  64,  POKE  53272,23  will 
put  you  in  Set  2,  and  POKE  53272,21  will  put  you 
back  in  Set  1 .  Note  that  the  values  to  do  this  that 
are  listed  on  page  132  of  the  64  manual  are  not  cor- 
rect. 

Reverse  characters  are  also  available.  The 
reverse  of  any  character  on  the  chart  is  calculated 
by  adding  128  to  the  number  in  the  chart. 

You  can  use  the  PEEK  command  to  see  what 
character  is  in  a  particular  location  or  what  the 
color  is.  You  can  use  the  PEEK  command  to  detect 
a  barrier  or  to  detect  a  crash  in  a  game.  PEEK(n) 
will  return  the  value  in  memory  location  n.  Some 
valid  commands  are: 

PRINT  !'EBK(7'J11) 

200IEPEEK(A)  =  32THEN  350 

At  first,  PEEK  doesn't  seem  to  work  with 
color  memory,  since  when  you  PEEK  it,  you  get  a 
different  number  than  you  POKEd  in.  To  fix  this 
just  use: 

X  =  l'EEK(n)  AND  15 
instead  of: 

X  =  PEEK(n> 

You  only  have  to  do  this  when  n  is  in  color 
memory. 

To  further  demonstrate  POKEing  graphics, 
let's  look  at  a  couple  of  sample  programs.  In  Pro* 
grams  1  and  2,  I  and  j  are  coordinates  to  determine 
the  location  of  the  ball.  The  ball  bounces  within 
the  boundaries. 

Graphics  In  A  Game 

Programs  3  and  4  illustrate  how  you  can  POKE 
graphics  and  create  moving  graphics  for  a  game. 

42     COMPUTE.i'i  Gazelle    September  1983 


"Defend"  is  a  shooting  game  for  one  person.  You 
are  positioned  on  the  left  of  the  screen  and  need 
to  defend  your  territory  -  don't  let  the  invader 
cuming  from  the  right  of  the  screen  get  to  your  bor- 
der. 

Line  up  horizontally  with  an  invader  by 
pressing  '  to  move  up  and  CRSR  t  to  go  down, 
then  shoot  by  pressing  either  the  space  bar  or 
the  F7  key.  You  score  ten  points  for  each  invader 
you  successfully  shoot,  but  you  lose  five  points  if 
you  miss. 

After  you  have  played  this  game  once  or 
twice,  change  it  into  your  own  game.  Use  different 
graphics  and  colors.  Change  the  motion  to  vertical 
instead  of  horizontal.  Change  the  scoring.  After 
you  reach  certain  scores,  perhaps  you  could 
change  the  shapes  of  the  invaders  and  vary  their 
speed. 

The  following  description  is  for  the  VIC  ver- 
sion of  the  program.  It  is  almost  perfectly  accurate 
for  the  64  version  as  well:  the  major  differences 
are  that  all  sound  commands  have  been  removed 
from  the  64  version,  and  that  certain  POKEs  to 
color  memory  have  been  added  that  are  required 
by  the  64,  but  not  by  the  VIC. 

VIC  Program  Description 

Lines       Explanation 

1  Turn  cm  the  volume  for  sound;  initialize  TS  for  the 
top  score. 

2  Define  function  R(X)  to  calculate  the  location  number 
for  a  random  row;  branch  to  line  200. 

10  Clear  screen;  set  screen  and  border  color.  Initialize 

variables.  N  is  the  location  of  your  ship,  SC  is  the 

score,  and  D  is  difficulty  level, 
20  Place  defending  ship  on  screen. 

22-25       Randomly  place  invaders,  making  sure  invaders 

are  not  on  the  same  row  as  the  player. 
30  Detecl  which  key  is  pressed.  If  it  is  one  of  the  firing 

keys,  branch  lo  line  60. 
32-34        1  farrow  keys  are  pressed,  move  up  ordown. 

35  Increment  L  lo  determine  speed  of  invaders. 

36  Increment  invaders'  positions;  move  one  spot  to 
the  left. 

37-42       If  an  invader  reaches  left  side  of  screen,  branch  to 

line  100  to  end  game. 
44-50        M  o ve  i  n  v  a  d  crs;  bra  n  c  h  ba  c  k  t  u  rece  i  ve  n  e  x  t  key 

press. 
60  Make  firing  noise  and  blink  defender. 

62-68       Check  positions  of  invaders  to  see  if  one  was  shot. 
70  Decrease  score  by  five  if  shot  missed, 

72-78       Procedure  if  invader  is  shot;  choose  new  invader 

position. 
80  Increase  score  by  ten;  clear  invader;  stop  noise. 

82-84        Print  score  and  branch  back  for  next  key  press. 
90-94       Check  boundary  position  of  defender,  then  draw 

defender  on  screen  in  new  position. 
100-110    Procedure  at  game'send. 
120-160    Print  ending  message,  score,  and  high  score. 
170-190    Print  option  to  trv  again  and  branch  appropriately. 
200-280    Print  instruction  screen. 
290  END. 

See  program  listings  on  page  120.  <B 


I 


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MACHINE  LANGUAGE  FOR  BEGINNERS 


RICHARD  MANSFIELD,  SENIOR  EDITOR 


DISASSEMBLING 


Program  1,  a  disassembler,  is  one  of  two  major  tools 
you'll  be  using  when  you  work  with  machine 
language.  In  order  to  understand  what  it  does, 
we'll  first  need  to  look  briefly  at  the  other  major 
tool,  an  assembler. 

An  assembler  is  used  to  write  an  ML  (machine 
language)  program  in  the  same  way  that  BASIC  is 
used  to  write  a  BASIC  program.  An  assembler 
lets  you  type  in  ML  instructions  like  LDA  #8  and 
then  translates  the  instruction  into  numbers  and 
POKEs  them  into  memory  for  you.  Take  a  look  at 
Program  3.  The  first  line,  numbered  884,  says 
I. DA  (LoaD  the  Accumulator)  with  the  number 
eight.  This  same  instruction  appears  in  different 
form  in  line  882  of  Program  2:  DATA  169,8.  An 
assembler  would  translate  your  LDA  instruction 
into  the  number  169.  If  you're  just  starting  out 
with  ML,  these  instructions  won't  mean  much  to 
you  yet,  but  for  now  all  we  want  to  do  is  get  a  feel 
for  the  broad  concepts  of  ML. 

To  look  at  "assembling"  another  way,  it  helps 
to  realize  that  there's  a  similar  process  going  on 
when  you  write  a  BASIC  program.  After  you  type 
in  a  BASIC  command,  the  BASIC  interpreter  trans- 
lates it  into  a  "token,"  a  single-byte  representation 
of  the  command,  and  stores  the  token  in  memory. 
So,  a  line  of  BASIC  is  stored  inside  the  computer 
in  a  different  form  than  you  would  see  on  the 
screen  when  you  type  it  in.  The  word  "LIST"  would 
be  stored  in  four  bytes,  but  the  command  LIST 
would  be  crunched  down  by  BASIC  into  only  one 
byte.  Similarly,  an  assembler  takes  your  LDA  and 
turns  it  into  the  number  169,  which  can  be  stored 
in  a  single  byte.  These  words  -  LDA  and  LIST  - 
are  for  our  convenience.  They  are  easier  for  us  to 
work  with.  The  computer  only  needs  numbers 
and  so  BASIC  and  its  ML  equivalent,  an  assembler, 
accepts  the  words,  but  stores  numbers. 

An  Understandable  Version 

Of  course,  you  need  to  go  the  opposite  way  some- 
times, to  go  from  the  numbers  back  to  the  words. 
If  the  computer  stores,  interprets,  and  executes 
programs  as  pure  numbers,  how  can  we  examine 
or  modify  a  program?  We  don't  want  to  study  a 
list  of  numbers,  however  efficient  they  are  for  the 

44     COMPUTEI's  GoieHe    September  1983 


computer's  internal  use  (see  Program  2).  Program 
1,  a  disassembler,  does  for  ML  what  the  LIST  com- 
mand does  for  BASIC  programs.  It  takes  a  look  at 
a  compressed,  numeric,  machine-readable  pro- 
gram in  memory  and  prints  out  an  understand- 
able, human-readable  version. 

Last  month  we  created  a  short  ML  program, 
RAM  test,  which  put  every  possible  number  (0 
through  255)  into  every  memory  cell  in  your  com- 
puter's RAM  memory.  A  fragment  of  that  program 
appears  in  Programs  2  and  3  here.  If  you  type  in 
and  SAVE  Program  1,  then  type  in  and  RUN  Pro- 
gram 2,  you  can  LOAD  in  Program  1  again  and, 
when  the  disassembler  asks  you  for  START  AD- 
DRESS, type  884.  That's  the  address  where  the 
fragment  starts  in  RAM  memory.  You'll  then  see 
your  screen  fill  with  the  disassembly  of  the  ML 
fragment  (Program  3). 

At  this  point,  you  will  probably  find  it  difficult 
to  understand  this  disassembly  listing.  As  you 
begin  to  learn  the  meaning  of  ML  instructions, 
however,  the  purpose  of  this  fragment  will  become 
clear.  As  a  quick  explanation:  line  898  copies  a 
number  from  the  "accumulator"  into  a  cell  in  RAM 
memory.  Then  line  900  compares  the  RAM  mem- 
ory cell  against  the  accumulator.  If  they  are  the 
same  (BEQ  means  Branch  if  EQual),  then  we  are 
sent  down  to  lines  925  and  926  where  the  number 
in  the  accumulator  is  raised  by  one.  We  go  back 
and  test  the  same  cell  over  and  over,  raising  the 
number  each  time  so  we  can  see  if  that  cell  will 
hold  all  the  possible  numbers. 

Just  the  way  that  IFAT1EN  tests  in  BASIC,  if 
we  had  a  bad  memory  cell  and  the  number  was 
found  to  be  not  equal  in  line  900,  we  would  "fall 
through"  the  BEQ  to  line  904  which  would  print 
out  an  error  message  on  the  screen  to  alert  us 
about  the  bad  memory.  By  the  way,  we've  been 
calling  the  numbers  on  the  left  side  of  Program  3 
"line  numbers."  In  fact,  they're  memory  addresses 
where  the  instructions  were  found  in  RAM.  It's 
useful,  though,  to  think  of  them  as  similar  to 
BASIC'S  line  numbers.  They  serve  the  same 
purpose. 

Don't  be  concerned  if  this  is  difficult  to  follow. 
We're  jumping  into  ML  to  get  our  feet  wet.  It's 


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such  as  the  PET,  VIC-20,  and  the 
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patible to  the  model  4040,  2031, 1540, 
and  1541  disk  drives  and  recognizes 
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modore drives,  and  Super  Disk 
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Commodore  drives.  Super  Disk  offers 
8K  RAM  area  within  the  disk  unit,  and 
a  serial  and  an  IEEE  bus  interface.  The 
following  technical  specifications  apply 
to  Super  Disk. 

Disk  Parameters:  5.25  inch  aincjto-sniod,  dou- 
ble density  diskette  media;  number  o)  tracks  — 
35;  number  of  sectors  per  track  —  17  to  21 
(variable);  sector  size  —  256  bytes;  number  of 
sectors  per  disk  —  683. 

Capacities:  User  sectors  per  disk  —  667;  disk 
capacity  —  174,848;  data  capacity  —  1 68,656; 
relative  data  capacity  —  167,132;  program 
capacity  -  168,656;  directory  capacity  —  144 
Filenames. 

Electrical  Interface:  Power  requirements  —  in- 
put voltage  -  1 10/220  votts  +/-  10%;  frequen- 
cy —  50  or  60  Hertz;  power  —  30  watts.  Com- 
puter interface  —  Commodore  type  SERIAL  bus 
or  Commodore  type  IEEE  bus. 

System  Features:  16K  ROM  based  operating 
system;  8K  RAM  area;  65110  Microprocessor; 
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likely  that  you  learned  BASIC  the  way  1  did:  by 
working  with  the  language  and  making  lots  of 
mistakes  and  not  fully  understanding  what  was 
going  on  at  first.  So  we'll  plunge  into  ML  by 
starting  off  with  the  main  tools,  the  assembler 
and  the  disassembler.  You  won't  be  able  to  use 
them  with  very  much  skill  to  begin  with,  but  just 
working  with  them  is  probably  the  fastest  way  to 
learn.  After  we've  explored  disassembling  a  bit, 
we'll  go  on  to  work  with  an  assembler  in  an  up- 
coming issue. 

Trying  It  Out 

We  can  conclude  with  a  few  comments  about  the 
disassembler.  There  are  several  graphics  features 
of  this  disassembler  which  can  make  it  easier 
to  visualize  the  programs  it  disassembles.  All 
branching  instructions  {like  BEQ),  JSRs,  and  J  MPs 
(the  equivalents  of  COSUb1  and  JUMP)  are  offset 
on  the  screen  to  indicate  that  the  flow  of  the  pro- 
gram might  be  taking  a  new  course  at  that  point. 
Likewise,  the  RTS  instruction  (ReTurn  from  Sub- 
routine, the  equivalent  of  BASIC'S  RETURN) 
causes  a  line  to  be  drawn,  marking  the  end  of  a 
subroutine. 

Line  210  PEHKs  the  ML  command  from  mem- 
ory. If  it  cannot  make  a  match  against  the  array 
containing  all  legal  ML  instructions  (lines  820-960), 
a  "?"  is  printed  on  screen  in  line  230.  When  you 


see  a  series  of  question  marks  during  a  disas- 
sembly, it  means  that  you  are  not  disassembling 
an  ML  program,  but  rather  have  come  across  a 
"data  table."  This  would  be  a  list  of  names  or 
words  which  might  be  used  by  an  ML  program, 
but  is  not  actually  ML  code. 

You  can  use  the  disassembler  to  look  into  the 
heart  of  your  BASIC  language.  Just  give  an  address 
between  40960-49 151  as  the  START  ADDRESS  for 
the  64  (between  49152-57343  for  the  VIC),  and 
you  can  see  the  insides  of  one  of  die  most  complex 
ML  programs  ever  written:  your  BASIC.  Next 
month  we'll  learn  how  to  go  directly  into  BASIC 
and  access  some  of  its  ML  subroutines. 

See  program  listings  on  page  721.  © 


J 


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The  "AIRWAVES"  that  is,  they're  literally  crackling 
with  interesting  things  to  listen  to.  Did  you  know 
that  you  can  get  local  and  overseas  news  a  day 
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operators  all  use  the  SHORT-WAVE  radio  bands 
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munication. The  Microlog  AIR-1  plugs  into  your 
computer  just  like  a  "game  cartridge."  The  single 
board  AIR-1  contains  both  program  in  ROM  AND 
radio  interface  circuit.  All  you  need  is  a  typical 
short-wave  receiver,  with  CW  capability  (BFO).  Con- 
nect your  radio  speaker  and  off  you  go  . . .  tuning  in 
the  world  of  digital  communications.  Instead  of 
"COSMIC  BLIVETTES"  on  your  video  screen,  you'll 
be  watching  text  readout  from  all  sorts  of  stations 
around  the  world  ...  free  for  the  listening  ...  a 
whole  new  use  for  your  home  computer . . .  SHORT- 
WAVE DXing  on  RTTY  and  Morse.  The  manual  lists 
some  suggested  times  and  frequencies,  and  your 
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copy.  The  AIR-1  will  even  tell  you  what  Morse  speed 


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make  connection  to  your  radio  a  snap.  "On-Screen" 
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nect your  computer  to  the  AIR-1. 

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MICROLOG 

INNOVATORS  IN  DIGITAL  COMMUNICATION 


News  From  The  Summer 


CES 


More  Software,  Lower  Prices 


Tom  R.  Halfhill,  Editor 


The  Summer  Consumer  Electronics  Show 
(CES)  is  one  of  the  largest  trade  shows  in  the 
world.  A  showplace  for  everything  from  video 
recorders  and  stereos  to  videogames  and  per- 
sonal computers,  it  annually  attracts  about 
100,000  industry  retailers  and  distributors  who 
try  to  decide  what  the  public  wants  to  buy  in 
the  coming  year.  Here's  a  report  on  the  latest 
developments  that  affect  owners  and  users  of 
Commodore  computers. 


This  summer's  Consumer  Electronics 
Show,  held  in  Chicago  in  June,  was  the 
biggest  ever  for  the  personal  computer 
industry. 
It  was  so  big,  in  fact,  that  almost  all  of  the 
videogame  and  computer  exhibits  had  to  be 
housed  in  their  own  building  down  the  street 
from  the  main  convention  hall.  Floor  space  was 
as  dear  as  Manhattan  real  estate.  And  many  of 
the  elaborate  exhibits  cost  as  much  as  Silicon  Val- 
ley housing. 

During  the  four-day  show,  nearly  a  score  of 
new  personal  computers  selling  for  under  $1000 
were  introduced.  Coleco  shook  up  the  industry 
by  announcing  a  package  that  includes  a  computer 
with  80 K  of  memory,  detachable  keyboard,  high- 
speed tape  drive  for  mass  storage,  letter-quality 
printer,  game  controllers  with  numeric  keypads, 
word  processing  software,  and  an  arcade-style 
game  -  complete  for  $600.  What's  more,  it  plays 
all  ColecoVision  game  machine  cartridges  and 
will  be  available  in  a  version  that  costs  only  $450 
for  those  who  already  have  a  ColecoVision  to 
plug  it  into. 

Atari,  Inc.,  also  attracted  attention  with  its 
completely  new  line  of  four  XL  series  computers, 
ranging  from  $199  for  a  16K  model  to  about  $1000 

48    COMPUTE!'*  Gazette    Sep  te  m  bo  r  1 9  83 


for  a  64K  machine  with  built-in  modem,  speech 
synthesizer,  and  double-sided/double-density 
disk  drive. 

But  although  shiny  new  hardware  wins  the 
most  glamour  appeal,  some  really  significant  news 
at  the  show  was  related  to  software  -  especially 
for  Commodore  users. 

Commodore  showed  no  new  computers  at 
CES,  but  did  announce  the  largest  single  software 
introduction  in  the  history  of  the  company:  more 
than  70  programs  for  the  Commodore  64  and  VIC- 
20.  The  bulk  of  these  programs  are  the  result  of  a 
recently  formed  software  division  at  Commodore 
which  has  been  charged  with  strengthening  the 
company's  software  support,  often  exploited  as  a 
weakness  by  competitors. 

Of  even  greater  significance,  Commodore  is 
beginning  to  push  home  computer  software  in 
the  same  way  it  has  succeeded  in  mass-marketing 
home  computer  hardware  -  by  drastically  slashing 
retail  prices.  Cuts  of  up  to  50  percent  were 
announced. 

"We  broke  price  barriers  with  the  VIC-20  and 
Commodore  64,  and  now  we're  doing  the  same 
thing  with  software,"  said  Sig  I  lartmann,  presi- 
dent of  the  new  division.  "We  want  everyone  to 
know  that  Commodore's  in  the  software  business." 

They're  not  alone,  however.  In  another  im- 
portant move,  Atari  formed  a  new  subsidiary, 
Atari  Publishing,  to  sell  hit  Atari  computer  games 
for  competing  computers  -  including  the  VIC-20 
and  Commodore  64. 

Taken  together,  these  developments  mean 
that  software  for  the  industry's  most  popular 
home  computers  -  the  VIC  and  64  -  should  be 
increasingly  plentiful  and  affordable.  The  summer 
of  1983  may  mark  the  turning  point  in  home  com- 
puter software,  much  as  the  summer  of  1982  did 
for  hardware . 


FROM  AdVENTURES 


GYPSU 


CAVES 


n 


I    i 


-( ■< 


■'fm 

"  /r 


"FokhS 


I! 


*  % 


Tr, 


■•v.. 


Daylight  Never  Felt  So  Good, 


Gypsum  Caves  is  the  new  computer 
challenge  from  AdVENTURES.  More  than  just 
another  2  minute  shoot-'em-up,  Gypsum 
Caves  requires  timing,  common  sense,  and 
concentration.  One  game  may  last  hours  or 
even  days. 

The  player  attempts  to  negotiate  the  twists 
and  turns  of  the  caves,  using  objects  found 
along  the  way  to  traverse  the  obstacles  and 


solve  the  riddles  leading  to  the  mysterious 
final  room.  Color  graphics  and  sound  complete 
the  experience. 

Gypsum  Caves  ^||  AdVENTURES,  Inc. 

uypsum  uaves  ȣjl  wua  Richmond  highway 

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C64  or  VIC  20 

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Disk $16.95 


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;  I      • 

I 


Magic  Desk  I,  the  Commodore  (>J  's 
answer  to  Apple's  Lisa. 


\Jf  all  the  software  introduced 
at  the  Summer  CES  by  Commo- 
dore, perhaps  the  most  inter- 
esting was  the  first  edition  of 
the  new  Magic  Desk  series  for 
the  Commodore  64. 

Magic  Desk  I  -  Type  and  File 
is  a  cartridge  described  by  one 
Commodore  representative  as 
"Commodore's  answer  to 
Apple's  Lisa."  Lisa,  of  course,  is 
Apple's  $10,000  business  com- 
puter that  comes  with  a  series  of 
programs  integrated  to  an  unprecedented  degree, 
controlled  by  a  tabletop  "mouse"  device  that  re- 
duces keystrokes  to  a  minimum.  Magic  Desk  is  an 
economy  version  of  the  same  concept,  designed 
and  priced  for  home  users  instead  of  well-heeled 
businessmen. 

When  the  computer  is  switched  on,  the  main 
screen  displays  a  "menu"  of  choices,  as  do 
thousands  of  other  programs  -  except  the  Magic 
Desk  menu  is  a  color  picture  of  an  office.  Inside 
the  office  is  a  desk  with  a  typewriter,  index  file, 
telephone,  calculator,  and  financial  journal.  Be- 
neath the  desk  is  a  wastebasket.  There's  also  an 
artist's  easel  sitting  nearby,  and  a  vertical  file 
cabinet  with  a  digital  clock  on  top.  Floating  in  the 
air  above  all  this  is  a  hand  with  a  pointing  finger. 
The  hand  can  be  moved  all  over  the  screen  with  a 
joystick. 

To  select  a  menu  option,  you  point  to  the 
corresponding  object  with  the  finger.  Pressing 
the  joystick  trigger  button  then  loads  the  appro- 
priate program  off  disk. 

For  example,  pointing  to  the  typewriter 
selects  a  typewriter-like  word  processing  program. 
The  screen  clears  to  a  white  sheet  of  "paper,"  and 
a  typewriter  carriage  with  paper  guides,  margin 
stops,  and  a  moving  striker  for  a  cursor  appears. 
(The  word  processor  is  so  much  like  a  typewriter 
that  you  must  even  hit  RETURN  at  the  end  of 
each  screen  line.)  After  writing  a  document,  you 
can  return  to  the  main  screen  by  pointing  the 
finger  at  another  symbol.  Once  back  at  the  desk, 
you  can  delete  a  file  by  throwing  it  in  the  waste- 
basket,  or  store  it  away  for  future  reference  by 
pointing  to  the  file  index  or  cabinet.  You  can  re- 
trieve files  from  the  cabinet  with  the  floating  hand, 
sdck  them  in  the  typewriter,  and  edit  or  rewrite 
them.  By  opening  a  file  drawer,  you  can  search 
through  files,  sort  them,  rearrange  them,  and  soon 

While  Magic  Desk  I  supports  the  typing  and 
tiling  functions,  additional  programs  in  the  series 
would  have  to  be  purchased  to  take  advantage  of 
all  the  features  portrayed  by  symbols  in  the  "of- 
fice." The  next  cartridge  will  include  calculating 
and  home  budgeting.  The  telephone  and  artist's 
easel  raise  some  fascinating  possibilities  -  inavbe 

SO     COMPUTE!')  Gazette     September  1983 


it  will  be  possible  to  transfer  files 
over  phone  lines  using  Magic  Desk 
and  the  VICmodem,  and  perhaps 
a  graphics  drawing  subprogram 
will  be  added  in  the  future.  Inter- 
estingly, the  symbols  themselves 
can  be  redefined  to  provide  even 
more  functions.  For  example,  the 
file  index  could  be  deprogrammed 
as  alphabet  blocks  to  symbolize 
an  educational  program,  or  as  a 
guitar  to  represent  a  music 
program. 

The  Magic  Desk  cartridge,  which  contains  32K 
of  Read  Only  Memory  (ROM),  will  be  priced  at 
under  SI 00.  Commodore  says  it  is  scheduled  for 
delivery  by  early  fall. 

Mike  Magic  Desk,  most  of  the  other  new  Commo- 
dore software  also  is  for  the  64,  though  the  VIC-20 
wasn't  ignored,  either.  The  64  software  is  priced 
substantially  under  $100,  and  the  VIC  software 
under  $30.  All  of  it  was  promised  for  delivery 
within  60  days,  which  means  it  should  be  available 
by  the  time  this  issue  appears. 

As  an  indicator  of  the  new  low  prices,  each 
package  in  the  "Easy  Software  Series"  for  the  64 
will  sell  for  under  $50.  This  includes  EasyScript  64, 
the  long-awaited  word  processor  which  incorpo- 
rates the  best  features  of  Professional  Software's 
WordPro;  EasyCalc  64,  a  cartridge-based  spread- 
sheet; EasyFinance  I  through  EasyFinance  V,  a  series 
of  small  business  programs;  and  Easy  Codeivriter, 
a  utility  that  allows  nonprogrammers  to  generate 
their  own  filing  programs. 

Other  programs  shown  for  the  Commodore  64: 

•  Seven  business  programs  on  disk,  including 
The  Manager  (a  data  base  system),  MultiPIan  fa 
spreadsheet  for  CP/M),  General  Ledger,  Accounts 
Receivable/Billing,  Accounts  Pa yablelCheckwrii ing, 
Inventory  Management,  and  Payroll.  Selling  these 
packages  for  under  $100  is  a  real  breakthrough, 
especially  since  programs  such  as  MultiPlan  cost 
several  times  that  much  on  competing  systems. 

•  Six  adventure  games  on  disk,  including  the 
popular  Zork  series,  plus  Starcross,  Suspended,  and 
Deadline. 

•  Wizard  ofWor  on  cartridge,  the  first  talking 
game  for  the  speech  module  introduced  at  the 
Winter  CES. 

•  Eighteen  entertainment  cartridges,  in- 
cluding Avenger,  Blueprint,  Clowns,  Jupiter  hinder, 
Kickman,  Lazarian,  LeMans,  Number  Nabber/Shape 
Grabber,  Omega  Race,  Pinball  Spectacular,  Radar  Rat- 
race,  Seawolf,  Speed  Bingo  Math,  Starpost,  Star 
Ranger,  Supersmash,  Tooth  Invaders,  and  The  Visible 
Solar  System. 

•  Two  music  programs  on  cartridge,  Music 


$40  Can  Make 

A  Home  Computer 

A  Business  Computer 


If  you  own  a 
VIC-20    or  Commodore  64" 

someday  you  may  consider  getting 
a  more  sophisticated  computerfor 
your  business. 

That  could  cost  you  thousands  of 
dollars.  Or  just  $40.  ($50  for  PractiCalc  64.) 

Forty  dollars  will  buy  a  PractiCalc 
software  program  for  your  VIC-20  and 
suddenly  your  VIC  will  be  able  to  do  many 
business  tasks  that  have  made  Apple® 
and  IBM®  computers  so  popular  in  the 
business  world. 

With  PractiCalc 
and  a  VIC,  you  can  devise 
budgets,  and 
make  business 
projections  - 
instantly! 


See  what  PractiCalc  can  do  for  you. 

You  can  keep  track  of  expenses, 
investments  and  inventory. 

Maintain  and  Instantly  search*  files 

of  customers. 


Alphabetize  lists,  and  rearrange 
long  rows  of  numbers  -  instantly. 

Even  turn  numbers  into  graphs* 

PractiCalc  makes  it  practical  to 
play  with  numbers,  in  a 
way  you  never  could 
with  pencil  and  paper. 
Sit  down  at  your  VIC, 
put  in  PractiCalc,  and 
tasks  that  would 
normally  take  hours, 
take  minutes. 

PractiCalc.  If  you're 
tired  of  playing  games,  and  want  to  get 
down  to  business. 


COMPUTER  SOFTWARE  ASSOCIATES 


TM 


PractiCalc 


'Denotes  features  evaitable  only  on  PractiCalc  64  and  PraciiCaEc  Plus. 

c***  w*dv»c-?o-  «otp»d*miirtiof  CommodQfB  8us*wm  Mociwura.  ire:  Distributed  by  Micro  Software  International Inc 

Appi»*  4  m  r*Qi*l*r*tJ  tridomuh  oi  Aj»aa  Computers  inc.      IBM*  a  a  registered  ifBdemirk  ol  inieTu*r.«jn»i  Buhtou  Mncfknn,  inc  50  Toed  Drtve,  Randolph  MA  023GB 


Machine  and  Music  Composer,  for  the  plug-in  syn- 
thesizer keyboard  first  shown  at  the  Winter  CES. 

•  Super  Expander  64,  a  cartridge  which  adds 
graphics  and  sound  commands, 

•  Two  new  programming  languages  on  disk, 
PILOT  and  Logo. 

Ten  new  programs  were  introduced  for  the 
VIC-20,  including  VlCwriter,  a  word  processor 
(disk);  SimpliCalc,  a  spreadsheet  (disk);  VICfile,  a 
data  base  manager  (disk);  Know  Your  Personality 
(tape);  Knoio  Your  Own  I.Q.  (tape);  Know  Your 
Child's  I.Q.  (tape);  Robert  Carrier's  Menu  Planner 
(tape);  Quizmaster,  a  quiz-writing  tool  (tape); 
Starpost,  an  arcade  game  (cartridge);  and  Num- 
ber Nabber/Shape  Grabber,  an  educational  game 
(cartridge). 

Commodore  also  released  the  third  edition  of 
the  Commodore  Software  Encyclopedia,  an  800-page 
directory  of  nearly  2000  programs  for  all  Commo- 
dore computers,  including  independent  software. 
The  book  sells  for  $19.95  and  is  available  from 
Commodore  dealers. 

m%  I  though  Commodore  announced  no  new  com- 
puters at  the  Summer  CHS,  there  was  a  little  news 
on  the  hardware  front. 

Firing  another  shot  in  the  ongoing  price  war 
with  Texas  Instruments  and  Atari,  Commodore 
chopped  the  wholesale  cost  of  the  64  from  $360  to 
about  $200,  effective  immediately.  Since  mass 
retailers  can  qualify  for  even  tower  wholesale 
prices,  this  means  the  64  will  be  selling  for  under 
$200  retail  by  the  time  this  issue  appears.  It  seems 
like  only  yesterday  that  the  5K  VIC-20  was  a  tre- 
mendous bargain  at  $299. 

Some  people  -  including  TI  and  Atari,  you 
can  bet  -are  wondering  just  how  much  lower 
Commodore  can  drop  the  price  of  the  64.  Partly  it 
depends  on  how  long  TI  and  Atari  can  afford  to 
stay  in  the  race.  Both  companies  are  suffering 
huge  losses,  ironically  because  they're  selling  too 
many  computers  at  prices  which  are  too  low.  If 
the  price  war  gets  even  rougher,  it's  considered 
possible  that  the  64  might  bottom  out  in  the  $125 
range  -  perhaps  even  as  low  as  $100.  If  this  point 
is  reached,  Commodore  probably  would  have  to 
upgrade  the  VIC  to  keep  it  competitive,  maybe  by 
expanding  memory  to  16K  and  packaging  it  with 
software.  Wait  and  see. 

A  few  products  announced  at  the  Winter 
CES  were  shown  again  at  the  summer  show,  and 
release  dates  generally  were  pushed  back  to  the 
fall.. These  include  the  Commodore  Speech  Mod- 
ule, die  Digi-Drums,  and  the  plug-in  synthesizer 
keyboard  for  the  64.  Commodore  also  showed  an 
updated  prototype  of  the  portable  Commodore 
64,  first  shown  at  the  Winter  CES  as  the  SX-100. 
It's  been  renamed  the  Executive  64  and  now  has  a 

52    COMPUTE!';  Gazette    September  1983 


Commodore's  Executive  64,  a  portable  version  of  the  64  home 
computer. 

single  built-in  disk  drive  (second  drive  optional), 
built-in  six-inch  color  monitor,  and  a  tentative 
retail  price  of  $995.  All  other  features  are  identical 
to  the  Commodore  64.  Of  course,  some  of  these 
details  could  change  again  before  the  computer 
finally  hits  the  market. 

One  computer  that  wasn't  shown  was  the  P 
Series  announced  at  last  summer's  CES.  Also 
known  as  the  P128  or  P-500,  this  was  planned  to 
be  a  souped-up  version  of  the  64.  It  was  to  include 
128K  of  Random  Access  Memory  (RAM)  expand- 
able to  896K,  a  much  larger  keyboard,  the  more 
advanced  4.0  BASIC,  and  the  same  color  graphics 
and  sound  features  as  the  64.  Initially  announced 
at  $995,  it  was  later  lowered  to  $795. 

Unfortunately,  it  appears  the  P128  has  suf- 
fered the  same  fate  as  the  Max  Machine,  the  low- 
end  game  machine/computer  also  announced  last 
summer.  On  the  verge  of  delivery,  the  PJ28  has 
been  canceled. 

There  was  no  official  explanation.  Unoffi- 
cially, Commodore  sources  say  the  company  pre- 
ferred to  concentrate  efforts  on  projects  deemed 
more  worthwhile,  such  as  keeping  up  with  de- 
mand and  strengthening  software  support  for  the 
other  computers. 

Instead,  the  PI 28  has  been  redesigned  as  the 
B 128/256-80,  a  business  computer.  Gone  are  the 
Commodore  64-style  color  graphics  (although  the 
sound  chip  was  retained).  It  is  still  planned  to 
have  128K  RAM  expandable  to  960K,  4.0  BASIC, 
the  large  keyboard,  and  the  6509  microprocessor 
chip  (compatible  with  the  VIC's  6502  and  64's 


Write  For  Free  Vic  Catalog 


NEW 


E3       VIC  "  Software  VIC 


Write  For  Free  64  Catalog 

TM 


WW 


PARATROOPER 


MOW 


ALIEN 
INVASION 


SNAKE  OUT 


CRICKET  -  From  the  company  that  brought  you  Asteroidz,  Munchman  and  a  host  of  other 
blockbusters.  We  now  present  CRICKET.  This  is  a  challenging  game  with  a  east  of  characters  you 
will  love  and  hate.  All  you  have  to  do  is  get  Cherp  from  one  side  of  the  road  to  the  river  and  then 
across  the  river.  Not  so  fast  though.  First  you  have  to  figure  out  how  to  dodge  the  traffic  and  get  to 
the  center.  Then  how  are  you  going  to  get  across  the  river?  Look  here  comes  a  log  —  even  a  turtle. 
Hitc  h  a  ride  across  the  river  and  jump  from  one  to  the  other .  Keep  a  sharp  eye  out  for  Ade  the  Gator. 
He  loves  to  have  crickets  for  lunch.  How  many  times  can  you  get  across  the  road  and  river.  You  will 
have  to  work  as  fast  as  you  can.  Time  limit  and  bonus.  You  will  find  this  game  addictive  and 
challenging  and  it  will  entertain  you  with  hours  of  fun  and  enjoyment.  $14.95 

BUG  BLAST  -  If  you  think  Centipede  was  fun  —  look  out  (or  BUG  BLAST.  A  new  and  fast  action 
arcade  game  with  realistic  smooth  action,  quality  hires  graphics  and  trouble.  Its  very  calm  as  the 
first  wave  attacks.  Only  a  few  bugs  to  kill.  Just  shoot  thru  the  cactus  and  wipe  them  out.  After  a  few 
attacks  you  feel  you  have  everything  under  control.  Now  the  attacks  really  start.  Those  protection 
areas  have  to  go.  Blast  away.  Wilt  they  ever  stop?  OK  —  the  BUGS  got  me  this  time.  Now  its  my 
turn.  Just  one  more  time  —  BUG  BLAST  —  Now  its  your  turn  to  get  even.  $14.95 

BOMB'S  AWAY  •  Can  you  stop  him?  The  crazy  bomber  drops  the  bombs  from  the  top  of  the 
screen.  You  get  3  buckets  to  catch  them.  Before  you  know  it  bombs  are  falling  so  last  you  wonder 
when  he  will  stop.  Just  when  you  think  you  have  him  under  control  your  bucket  gets  smaller.  Is  your 
hand  quicker  than  your  eye?  Special  $9.95 

PARATROOPER  *  You  are  the  only  one  left  to  stop  them.  The  sky  is  full  of  enemy  choppers. 
Paratroopers  keep  dropping  into  your  area  with  non  stop  barrage  of  enemy  troops.  They  are  out  to 
destroy  you.  This  new  game  is  an  unbeatable  blend  of  arcade  action  and  quick  thinking  strategy. 
You  must  make  every  shot  count  —  don't  be  to  fast  on  the  trigger.  Every  time  you  hit  a  chopper  or 
paratrooper  you  get  extra  points.  Wait  until  you  see  the  climax  of  this  game  —  you  won't  believe  it! 
This  is  a  multiple  skill  level  game  with  razor-sharp  graphics  and  sound.  $19.95 

MOW  -  Get  ready  for  the  fast  and  furious  action  of  the  craziest  mower  you  have  ever  seen.  How 
much  grass  can  you  cut?  Joystick  moves  your  mower  around  as  fast  as  you  dare.  Watch  out  for 
granny's  dafodits  and  grandpa's  radio  antenna.  $14.95 

COSMIC  CRUZER  -  Bring  the  coin-op  game  in  to  your  VIC.  3  Scenarios.  Your  Cruzer  moves  over 
a  mountainous  landscape  &  into  a  tunnel  of  surface  -  to  air  missle,  silos  and  ground  to  ■  air 
weapons.  If  you  can  make  it  in  and  out  of  the  tunnel  you  fly  into  the  asteroid  field.  Drop  bombs  and 
fire  missiles  at  the  fuel  dumps  to  keep  your  fuel  supply  up,  If  you  are  really  good  you  can  gel  to  the 
base  and  try ,  to  destroy  it .  We  don't  know  of  any  one  that  has  hit  the  base  yet.  Maybe  you  will  be  t  he 
1st.  Cosmic  Cruzer  is  a  fun  filled  magnificently  rendered  home  video  game  that  will  last  for  months 
of  challenge.  Highly  addicting.  Hi-Res  Graphics,  Color  &  Sound.     SPECIAL  PRICE  -  $14.95 

SPACE  PAK  -  Can  you  survive?  3  space  games  with  the  sights  and  sounds  of  arcade  games.  The 
excitement  builds  as  the  action  is  unending.  Blast  away  at  everything  in  sight.  The  alien  attacks  will 
stop  a!  nothing  to  destroy  you.  Prepare  for  battle,  there  is  no  escape,  unless  you  can  help.  Can  you 
survive?  Hi-Res,  Color,  Graphic  &  Sound.  Joystick  or  keyboard,  $19.95 

ALIEN  INVASION  -  Invaders  from  space  are  attacking  your  home  planet.  Hurry  and  man  your 
lasers  and  prepare  your  robot  forces  for  the  inevitable  attack  of  the  Alien  Invaders.  The  excitment 
builds  as  you  command  a  battery  of  missile  bases  in  a  bunker.  Each  invader  has  a  laser  aimed  right  at 
you.  Will  they  ever  stop.  Only  you  can  save  the  Galaxy,  You  can  compete  with  4  people  in  the  solar 
system.  There  are  20  levels  of  play.  If  you  destroy  the  Aliens  in  the  correct  order  you  will  receive 
bonus  points.  Can  you  get  the  lop  score?  $14.95 

TARGET  COMMAND  -  The  whole  West  Coast  is  being  bombarded  and  only  you  can  save  it .  You 
are  at  the  controls  of  the  missile  launcher  and  hold  the  destiny  of  our  country  in  your  hands.  It  takes 
a  cool  head,  not  hand  and  fast  reflexes  to  zap  those  missiles  right  out  of  the  air.  Get  ready  to 
pulverize  —  atomize  and  vaporize  them.  Oh,  my  God,  those  warheads  are  heading  right  for  our 
ammo  dumps.  They  are  everywhere.  NO  ONE  CAN  SAVE  US  -  EXCEPT  YOU.  You  must  move 
your  laser  into  position  and  fire  as  fast  as  you  dare.  Time  limit  with  arcade  style  excitement.  Protect 
your  ammo  at  all  costs.  10  levels  of  play.  $14.95 

SNAKEOUT  -  Slip  your  snake  into  position  and  score  by  chomping  the  blocks.  Watch  the  way  you 
slither  because  your  escape  routes  get  smaller.  2  Bonus  games  included.  $14,95 

HEAD-ON  -  Please  do  not  buy  this  game  if  you  are  the  type  that  says  Til  play  it  just  one  more  time". 
Players  have  been  known  to  start  playing  HEAD  ON  at  8:30  p.m.  and  at  2  a.m.,  wonder  where  the 
time  went?  Have  you  ever  tried  to  explain  to  someone  why  you  played  a  game  for  five  and  a  half 
hours.  We  know  of  no  remedy  for  the  addiction  to  HEAD  ON  except  to  beat  the  VIC  on  level  9.  No 
one  has  done  it,  YET,  will  you?  We  think  not.  Move  your  car  as  fast  as  you  can  dare  around  the 
tracks.  You  get  3  cars  and  MUST  avoid  the  computer  car.  Points  for  the  most  dots  covered.  Bonus 
cars,  nine  levels  of  play.  $14.95 


TARGET 
COMMAND 


COSMIC 
CRUZER 


ComputerMat  •  Box  16MA  •  Lake  Havasu  City,  AZ  66403 


Add  S  1. 00  For  Shipping 


SPACE  PAK 


HEAD  ON 


A  prototype  of  the  Bl  28/256-80,  a  business  computer  that  is 
replacing  the  canceled  PI 28, 

6510).  However,  screen  size  has  been  expanded 
from  40  columns  to  80.  Other  features  planned  at 
this  writing  include  an  IFFF-488  slot  (as  on  the 
Commodore  PET  computers),  an  RS-232C  serial 
interface,  a  user  port,  and  the  capability  to  add 
co-processors  to  make  it  compatible  with  popular 
business-oriented  operating  systems,  such  as  a 
Z80  chip  for  CP/M,  or  an  8088  chip  for  CP/M-86 
and  MSPOS  {used  by  the  IBM  Personal  Computer). 
The  B128/256-80  should  be  available  in  1984. 


V^ommodore  wasn't  the  only  company  showing 
interesting  products  for  Commodore  computers. 
Independent  companies  had  some  new  offerings, 
too. 

Maxtron,  of  Montebello,  California,  was 
exhibiting  a  speech  synthesizer  for  the  VIC  called 
the  Chatterbox.  It's  a  standard  cartridge  with  a 
DIN  plug  that  attaches  between  the  computer 
and  the  TV,  Almost  anything  typed  on  the 
keyboard  is  pronounced  through  the  TV  speaker. 
It  even  says  "run"  when  you  RUN  a  program  and 
"ready"  when  it's  done.  The  retail  price  was  not 
yet  determined,  but  should  be  under  $75. 

Mosaic  Electronics,  of  Oregon  City,  Oregon, 
introduced  the  RAMMASTER  32  for  trie  VIC,  a 
memory  expander  that  brings  the  computer  up  to 
37Kand  adds  a  pause  switch,  expansion  port, 
write -protect  switch,  and  a  disabler  switch  that 
a  1 1 0 ws  ca rt  rid ges  to  be  sa fely  u  n pi u gged  w ithoui 
turning  off  the  computer.  The  price  is  under  $150. 

Cardco,  Inc.,  of  Wichita,  Kansas,  introduced 
eight  new  products  for  both  the  VIC  and  64.  There 
was  the  Cardprinter/LQl,  a  letter-quality  daisy- 
wheel  printer  ($599);  the  Cardprinter/DMl,  a  40- 
column  dot  matrix  printer  that  uses  standard  2%- 
inch  adding  machine  paper  ($149);  the  Cardboard/ 
5,  a  five-slot  expansion  interface  for  the  64  ($69.95); 
Cardkey/I,  a  16-key  numeric  keypad  for  the  VIC 
and  64  ($39.95);  Printer  Utility  Programs,  software 
that  allows  screen  dumps  and  other  tricks  with 
the  VIC  and  64  ($19.95);  Mail  Now,  a  mailing  list 
program  for  the  64  ($39.95);  and  Write  Now,  a  car- 

54     COMPUTEi's  Gazette     September  19B3 


tridge  word  processor  for  both  the  64  ($49.95)  and 
VIC  ($39.95).  Write  Now,  incidentally,  appeared  to 
be  a  very  sophisticated  word  processor  at  a  bargain 
price.  A  chaining  feature  allows  book-length  files 
even  on  an  unexpanded  VIC. 

Unitronies,  of  Oakland,  California,  besides 
introducing  a  new  computer  of  its  own  at  CES, 
also  exhibited  the  Waferdrive  Module  for  the  VIC 
and  64.  This  is  a  high-speed  mass  storage  device 
that  uses  Exatron  Stringv  Floppy  technology  (see 
"Review:  Exatron  Stringv  Floppy  For  VIC  And 
64,"  COMPUTE!'*  Gazette,  July  1983).  The  Wafer- 
drive  Module  plugs  into  the  computer's  expansion 
slot  and  allows  you  to  save  and  load  programs  on 
small  endless-loop  tape  cartridges  called  "wafers." 
In  some  cases  a  Waferdrive  is  as  fast  as  a  disk 
drive.  Unitronies  says  the  Waferdrive  Module 
will  be  available  this  fall  for  under  $100.  That  price 


The  Unitronies  Waferdrive  Module,  a  low-cost  mass  storage 
device  for  the  VIC  and  64, 


includes  two  blank  wafers  and  a  game,  Miner 
2049er,  recorded  on  a  third  wafer.  In  addition,  the 
VIC  version  includes  8K  of  memory  expansion, 
plus  2K  for  the  Waferdrive  Module's  operating 
system.  Unitronies  hopes  to  have  30  to  40  com- 
mercial programs  available  on  wafers  this  fall,  too. 

Alphacom,  Inc.,  of  Campbell,  California, 
introduced  two  low-cost  printers  that  will  work 
with  the  VIC  and  64.  The  Alphacom  42  is  a  40- 
column  dot  matrix  printer  that  has  dot-graphics 
capability  for  printing  finely  detailed  pictures.  It 
is  a  thermal  printer  that  uses  heat-sensitive  paper 
and  a  hot-wire  print  head  instead  of  ink  ribbons. 
The  price  is  $169,  including  an  interface  cable  for 
the  VIC  and  64. 

The  Alphacom  81  is  an  80-column  dot  matrix 
printer  that  also  uses  thermal  paper.  It,  too,  has 


O  commodore 

COMPUTER 

HARDWARE      $239 


COMMODORE  64: 


1525  80  Column  Printer S219.00 

1600  VIC  Modem S59.00 

1610  VIC  Term  40 S4S.00 

1650  AD/AA  Modem  S89.00 

1701   14"  Color  Monitor $249.00 

131 1  Joysticks  (each) S5.99 

1312  Paddles $1  1.99 

1110  VIC  8K $42.00 

1 1 1 1  VIC  1  6K $69.00 

1011  RS-232  Interface  $42.00 

1211  Super  Expander $53.00 


1541 
SINGLE  DISK  DRIVE 


$249 


1520 

COLOR 

PRINTER/PLOTTER 


169 


1530 
DATASETTE 

s69°° 


SOFTWARE 


commodore 

1906  Super  Alien S  12.00 

1910  Radar  Rai  Rac» Si 2.00 

191  7  VooDoo  Castle S15.00 

1922  Cosmic  Crunchsi 515.00 

1923  Gorl SI  5.00 

1924  Omega  Race SI 5.00 

1  10  VIC  Helerence  Guide  — SI  5,00 

CBM  64  lii-l.- *  .■  Guide SIB. 00 

EASY  BUSINESS  SERIES 

C-64  Disks 

Easy  File $39.00 

Easy  Finance S15.00 

Easy  Mall $15,00 

Easy  Script $39.00 

Word/Mam*  Machine $1  2.00 

PROGRAMMER  SERIES 

C-64  Disks 

Assembler, S1 5.00 

Logo S39.00 

Pilot S39.00 

Pol  Emulator St 5.00 

Screen  Editor , S15.00 

Video  Music  Support SI  5  00 

ART  a  MUSIC   SERIES 

C  64  Disks 

Music  Machine St  2.00 

Music  Composer 51  2.00 

Meta  Music  I.. $39.00 

FLOPPY  DISKS 

Maxell S32.O0 

Veibalum $26.00 

Elephant $18.95 

CARDCO. 

Light  Pen S32.00 

Cassette  Interface    S29.0O 

Parallel  Printer  Interface  $69.00 

3-SlotEi|i.niEionlnlr]r!ace(VICI  ..  .$32  00 
0-SlolE«piinalonlnli)((aco(VIC).  .    $79.00 


ARTWORX 

C-64  Cassetles 

Bridge  3.0 St  4.95 

C-64/ VIC  20  Cassettes 

Teacher  s  Pet 511.9S 

BROOERBUNO 
VIC  20  Cassettes 

Martian  Raid ...$16.00 

Shark  Trap $16.00 

M ultisou nd  Synthesizer $1 6.00 

COMMERCIAL  DATA 
VIC  20  Cassettes 

Motor  Mouse S23.00 

Centipode $23.00 

Froygee $23.00 

C-64  Cassettes 

Froggee $23.00 

CREATIVE  SOFTWARE 
VIC  20  Cassettes 

Home  Finance $16.00 

Home  Inventory S16.0O 

VIC  20  Cartridges 

Astro  Blitz $29.00 

Black  Hoto $29.00 

Trash  man $29.00 

Chophlter .$29  00 

EPYX 
VIC  20  Cassettes 

Sword  at  Fargoal 524  00 

Rescue  at  Rigel ...524  00 

Ricochet  S16.00 

QUICK  BROWN   FOX 
VIC  20  Cartridge 

Word  Processor ,S4g. 00 

UMI 
VIC  20  Cartridges 

Amok 530.00 

Meteor  Run ,,,...,, 540.00 

Alien  Blitz S30.00 

VIC  20  Cassettes 

Viterm  A.. SI  6.00 

The  Alien S  1  6.00 


HES 

VIC  20  Cassettes 

Tofg SI  4.00 

Skier SI  4.95 

Tank  Wats SI 4.95 

Pak  Bom  bet S  12.95 

Oiim  dumber $12.95 

Maze  (il  Mikor SI 4  95 

Laser  Blitz  SI 4.95 

Pmball S12.95 

Tank  Trap $14.95 

VIC  20  Cartridges 

VIC  Forth $47.95 

HES  Mon $29.00 

HES  Writer $29.00 

Aggressor  , . $31.95 

Synthusound $47.95 

Sliamus ..,,.. S29.00 

Protector S32.00 

Turtle  Graphics S31 .95 

C-64  Cartridges 

HES  Mon $29.00 

HES  Writer S35.00 

NUFEKOP 
VIC  20  Cassettes 

Alien  Panic St  0.00 

Race  Fun  Drag  Race $1  6.00 

The  Catup S1 0,00 

Exterminator 519.00 

C  64  Cassettes 
30  Man S16.00 

ROMOX 

VIC  20  Cartridges 

Princess  and  Frog $24.00 

Antoaler $26.00 

Typo $26.00 

RAINBOW 
C-64  Disks 

Personal  Finance $48.00 

Writer  s  Assistant $95.00 


MICP.OSPEC 

VIC  20  Cassettes 
Spelling  BeeGrades2.3,4.5or6 ...  $8.00 

Math  Drill 58.00 

Portfolio  Manager  .516.00 

Data  Manager St 6.00 

VIC  20  Disks 

General  Ledger $69.00 

Mailing  List  Manager ..535.00 

Inventory  Package 569  00 

Payroll 569.00 

Data  Base ..,. $48.00 

C-64  Cassettes 

Black  Box   512.00 

Color  Sketch ,  .  $20.00 

Match  Maker $18.00 

C-64  Disks 

Mailing  List  Manager 545.00 

Inventory  Package $79.00 

General  Ledger $79.00 

Data  Base $69.00 

Black  Box .$1 6.00 

Color  Skelch S22.00 

Match  Maker $20.00 

TRONIX 

VIC  20  Cassettes 

Galactic  Blitz  519  95 

Swarm S22.95 

Sidewinder . .......  S2  2. 95 

VICTORY 

C  64/VIC  20  Cassettes 

Ad  venture  Pack  1(3  games)...  ,$12. 00 

Adventure  Pack  II  (3  games) .  ..51  2.00 

Annihilation. $16.00 

Grave  Robber $11  ,00 

Kongo  Kong  $16.00 

Trek $1  1 ,00 

PROFESSIONAL 

SOFTWARE 

Word  Pro  64   $69.95 


computer  mail  order         west 


800-S33-8950 

Dept..906A,  In  PA  Call  [717)327-9575 
477  E.  Third  St  William  sport,  PA  1  7701 


No  risk,  no  deposit  on  CO-0  orda/s.  Pre-paid  orders  receive 
free  shipping  within  the  UPS  Continental  United  States  with  no 
waiting  period  for  certified  checks  or  money  orders.  Add  3% 
(minimum  £3.00jshrppmg  and  handling  on  all  COD.  orders 
and  credit  card  orders.  Larger  shipments  may  require  additional 
Charges.  NV  and  PA  residents  add  tale*  ta*.  All  items  subject 
loavailabLiityandpriceCrhflnge.Cdll  today  tor  our  new  catalog. 


80O648-33  1 1 

Dept.  906A.  In  NV  Call  (702)588-5654 
P.O.  Box  6689.  Statelino,  NV  89449 


dot-graphics  capability.  An  interface  cable  for  the 
VIC  and  64  allows  the  Alphacom  81  to  reproduce 
the  full  Commodore  character  set,  including 
graphics  -  normally  possible  only  with  Commo- 
dore printers.  It  will  sell  for  about  S200,  interface 
included.  Alphacom  says  both  printers  should  be 
available  by  fall. 


1  he  biggest  news  at  CES  regarding  independent 
software  for  Commodore  computers  was  Atari's 
landmark  decision  to  become  a  "third-party" 
supplier. 

The  newly  formed  Atari  Publishing  subsidiary 
will  sell  hit  Atari  games  for  the  VIC,  64,  TI-99/4A, 
Apple  II,  and  IBM  PC.  For  those  who  have  been 
following  the  home  computer  price  wars,  this 
move  might  come  as  a  surprise.  It  would  seem  to 
undercut  one  of  Atari's  frequently  cited  selling 
points  for  its  own  computers:  namely,  that  com- 
petitors -  particularly  Commodore  -  lack  a  good 
selection  of  software,  especially  popular  arcade 
games.  Why  would  Atari  want  to  boost  the  soft- 
ware support  for  competitors  by  selling  versions 
of  its  best  games? 

In  a  word,  profits.  Because  of  the  aggressive 
price-cutting  of  the  past  12  months,  no  one  is 
making  much  money  selling  home  computers. 
This  is  despite  record-breaking  sales  figures.  In 
fact,  Atari  and  TI  are  losing  money.  So  far,  Com- 
modore is  making  money,  but  not  as  much  as  it 
could  without  the  competition.  Instead,  all  the 
companies  believe  that  the  true  profits  are  in 
follow-up  sales  -  peripherals  and  software.  Espe- 
cially software. 

That  explains  their  strategy  of  the  past  year  - 
cut  computer  prices  to  the  bone  to  get  as  many 
machines  into  the  hands  of  consumers  as  possible. 
The  companies  hope  to  create  "captive  markets," 
so  to  speak,  for  their  accessories  and  software. 

Therefore,  Atari  apparently  reasoned,  why 
not  convert  our  most  popular  games  to  work  on 
other  computers  and  reap  some  benefits  from  our 
competitors'  success? 

The  result  is  Atari  Publishing.  Among  its  first 
products  will  be  seven  hit  arcade  games  for  the 
VIC  and  64:  Pnc-Man,  Centipede,  Defender,  Dig  Dug, 
Donkey  Kong,  St  argute,  and  Robot  ran.  All  will  be 
sold  on  cartridges  at  a  suggested  retail  of  $44.95. 

Will  the  other  computer  manufacturers,  in- 
cluding Commodore,  follow  this  line  of  reasoning 
and  also  begin  selling  software  for  other  com- 
puters? This  question  was  put  to  a  Commodore 
spokesman  at  a  CES  press  party.  Interestingly,  he 
did  not  rule  it  out  as  a  future  possibility.  But  for 
now,  Commodore  is  fully  occupied  with  its  push 
to  make  enough  programs  for  its  own  machines, 
let  alone  anyone  else's.  Instead,  Commodore 
seems  to  be  retaliating  by  cutting  its  software 

56     COMPUTEI'i  Gazelle    September  1983 


prices  -  making  "outside"  software  seem  less 
attractive.  However,  if  this  ignites  a  price  war 
over  software  as  it  has  over  hardware,  all  the  home 
computer  manufacturers  will  be  forced  to  rethink 
their  strategy.  The  profits  have  to  come  from 
somewhere. 

Besides  Atari,  other  outside  suppliers  of  soft- 
ware for  Commodore  computers  were  showing 
new  wares  at  CES,  too.  Here  are  some  highlights: 

Creative  Software,  of  Sunnyvale,  California, 
was  showing  four  new  games.  Moondust  and  Save 
New  York  are  for  the  64,  Rat  Hotel  is  for  the  VIC, 
and  Pipes  will  be  available  for  both  computers.  All 
will  sell  for  $39.95. 

Pipes  won  a  prize  at  the  show  as  the  best  edu- 
cational program  for  the  home  market.  Designed 
for  youngsters  between  6  and  14,  it  requires 
players  to  maneuver  a  plumber  to  install  a  cost- 
effective  and  efficient  water  network.  The  trick  is 
to  fit  together  certain  lengths  of  pipe,  joints,  and 
valves  without  ending  up  with  any  leaks. 

Human  Engineered  Software  (HES),  now 
selling  its  titles  under  the  name  HesWare,  an- 
nounced more  than  a  dozen  programs  for  the  VIC 
and  64.  Some  are  licensed  from  other  companies 
which  sell  primarily  to  the  Apple  and  Atari  markets. 

For  the  VIC- 20,  HesWare  has  licensed  Spin- 
naker Software's  Kindercomp,  Story  Machine,  and 
Pacemaker  (educational  games  very  popular  among 
Apple,  Atari,  and  IBM  users);  Synapse  Software's 
Necromancer,  Slime,  and  The  Phartwh's  Curse 
(graphic  adventures);  and  ISA  Software's  Benji 
series  of  educational  games. 

For  the  64,  HesWare  will  sell  Turtle  Trainer 
and  Turtle  Tutor,  introductory  programming  pack- 
ages; Synthesound  64,  a  polyphonic  music  program; 
and  Maze  Master,  a  fantasy  adventure. 

For  both  computers,  HesWare  has  acquired 
rights  to  six  popular  Japanese  arcade  games:  Rally 
X,  The  Pit,  Chameleon,  Mr.  Jong,  Mr.  TNT,  and 
Rootin'  Tootin'.  All  will  be  released  this  fall  on  car- 
tridges. 

HesWare  also  exhibited  a  new  VIC  game, 
Ijiser  Zone,  and  another  program  for  both  com- 
puters, Attack  of  the  Mutant  Camels.  The  latter  is  a 
sequel  to  HesWare's  hit  game  Gridrunner  (see 
"Inside  View:  Programmer  Jeff  Minter,"  COM- 
PUTEl's  Gazette,  August  1983). 

Overall,  the  Summer  CES  was  good  news  for 
software-hungry  Commodore  users.  As  more 
and  more  Commodores  are  sold,  the  market  be- 
comes harder  and  harder  for  programmers  to 
ignore,  so  the  software  outlook  should  brighten 
considerably  in  the  next  few  months.  Coupled 
with  Commodore's  own  trend  toward  lower 
prices,  VIC  and  64  users  have  something  to  look 
forward  to.  © 


CO  MM  AID  ORE 
VIC-SO 


0 

0) 

4 

u 


8  Expansion 
Connectors 


Each  Switched 
Individually 


Fully  Enclosed 

Chassis 


Master  Power 

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for  computer 


and  accessories 
RIBBON  CABLE 


Connection 

for  convenient 

placement 


LED  DISPLAY 
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120  day  chassis 

1  yr  power  supply 

WARRANTIES 


0 

L. 

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TJ 
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ID 
01 

finger  tip 
selection  of 

game  and  other 
Cartridges 

Optional  5  volt 

Power  Supply 

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removes  power 

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SOFT-AWARE  BOX 

the mostadvanced 
expansion  chassis 

SI  43.00  each 
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SOFT-AWARE 

MCnOCOWUTEn     PCHIPMEnALS      ANO     IVTWAMI 

[71  rtl  EB4'SBOB 

P.O.  Box  725,  Glendora,  CA  9 1 740 

VIC-BO  and  CBM  G1  »ri>  cri.dnm.rk. 
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CASSETTE 
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Any  quantity  (except  500  special) 


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unless  Parcel  Post  requested. 


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YORK  lO  "Computer  id  a  re 

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COMMODORE  64 

and  u  IC-HO      Programs 


from 


M 


VIC-20     (cassette) 

Chimp  Chase  •  Blasteroids 

Cosmic  Crusader-  •  Allied  Defense 

VIC  Amortization  •  VIC  Twist 

Trip  &  Party  Planner  •  Alphabet  Soup 

Cnbbage  •  Tronic  Cycle 

Fire!  Fire!  •  Ultimate  Tank  (8K) 

Cosmic  Crystals  •  Mail  It  20  (SKI 

Mail  It  20  (Disk)  •  Rebel  Defender  (8K) 

Pro  Football  (BKl  •  Space  Fox  I  &  II 

Carnac  Caverns  (1 6K) 

Stock  Master  20  (8K) 

Commodore  64™  (cassette) 

Trip  &  Party  Planner  •  Cnbbage 
Twist  64  •  Tronic  Cycle  64 
Carnac  Caverns  •  Mail  It  64 
Super  Sprite  •  Stock  Master 
Ultimate  Tank  64 

Commodore  64™  (disk) 
Cribbage  64  •  Carnac  Caverns 
Mail  It  64  •  Super  Sprite 
Stock  Master  •  Ultimate  Tank  64 
Microtext  (Word  Processor) 
Micro  Checking  •  Micro  Data 
(Data  MgmtJ  •  Tronic  Cycle  64 

Available  from  these  Distributors: 


U.S.A. 

Kapri  International 
7419  Cfyboum  Ave. 
Sun  Valley.  CA  31  352 
El  3-765-2774 


Software  Distribution 

Services 

1280  Mam  Street 

Buffalo,  NY  14209 
B00-B2B-7250 

CANADA 

Cybertech  Trading  Corp 

3rd  Floor 

BOO  W  Pender  St 

Vancouver,  8C  V6C  2VB 

aOO.BB3.97B7 

■n  Canada 

604-278-4B4B 


M  Weingrod  Co 
219  N  Milwaukee  St 
Milwaukee,  Wl  53202 
414-371 -8B55 

Excel  Oist  Inc 
10133  DuconSt. 
Plain  view.  NY  11SQ3 
516-349-9235 


Canadian  Video 
Wnolssa'ers 
5475  Pare1  St 
Suite  S20O 
Montreal.  Quebec 
H4P  1P7 
514-735-1109 

Softs  ource  Oist 

ol  Canada 

38  70  Chesswood  Dr 

Downsview,  Ontario 

M3J2W6 

416-630-7713 


Oz.solt 

123  Clarence  St 
Sydney,  Australia  2000 
29B330 


Hobdycraft  Canada 
24  Ronson  Dr 
Rexdale.  Ontario 
tvlSW  1B4 
416-241-2651 

Multurncro 
9200  Claveau  St 
An/ou.  Quebec  H 1 J  1 24 
511-354-3810 

INTERNATIONAL 

International  Trade 

&  InJuB 

PO.  Box  100-Jeddah 

Saudi  Arabia 

E421S30 

Direct  Software 
P.O.  Box  6B548 
Auckland  2.  Mew  Zealand 
7755BB2 


Little  Wizard 

Manufacturing 

P.O.  Box  152 

Milwaukee,  Wl  53201 

414-968-2558 

"Commodore"  &  "VIC-20"  are  trademarks 
of  Commodore  Electronics  Ltd. 


HOTWARE 

A  Look  At  This  Month's  Best  Sellers 
And  The  Software  Industry 


Kathy  Yakal,  Editorial  Assistant 


r 

This 

Last 

This 

Last 

Month 

Month 

Month 

Month 

Commodore  64  Entertainment 

VIC-20  Entertainment 

i 

fumpman  (Epyx) 

— 

I 

CImpiifler  (Creative  Software) 

l 

2 

ZorH(lnfocom) 

5 

2 

Shannts  (HesWare) 

— 

3 

Temple  ofApshai  (Epyx) 

1 

3 

Gridrunner  (HesWare) 

7 

4 

Robbers  of  the  Lost  Tomb 

- 

4 

Turmoil  (Sirius) 

— 

(Timeworks) 

- 

5 

Demon  Attack  (I magic) 

— 

5 

Suspended  (lnfocom) 

4 

6 

Sea  W<)//(Commodore) 

- 

6 

Wall  Sheet  (Timeworks) 

- 

7 

Go  rf  { Co  m  m  o  d  o  re ) 

3 

7 

Squish  'Em  (Sirius) 

- 

8 

Snackman  ( M  i  crod  igi  ta  i ) 

8 

8 

Centrapods  (Commdata) 

- 

9 

Adventure  Puck  I!  (Victory) 

— 

9 

Fast  Edd ie  (Sirius) 

- 

10 

Rat  Hotel  (Creative  Software) 

— 

10 

Zorklll  (lnfocom) 

8 

Commodore  64 

VIC-20  Home/Business/Utility 

Home/Business/Utility 

i 

2 

turtle  (.implucs  (1  tesWarc) 
Home  Office  (Creative  Software) 

7 

1 

WordPro^* 

3 

3 

HESWrih  t  (HesWare) 

2 

(Professional  Software) 

4 

Totl  Text  (Totl) 

5 

2 

Money  Manager  (Timeworks) 
(tie)  Data  Manager  (Timeworks) 

— 

5 

Household  Finance 
(Creative  Software) 

- 

3 

Turtle  Graphics  (HesWare) 

- 

6 

VIC  Forth  (HesWare) 

— 

4 

Dome  Business  (Compu things) 

- 

7 

6502  Professional  Development  Si/stem 

- 

5 

Toil  Text  (Totl) 

5 

(HesWare) 

6 

HES  Writer  (HesWare) 

] 

7 

Totl  label  (Totl) 

6 

VIC-20  Educational 

8 
9 

Easy  Script  (Commodore) 
Cafe  Result  (Handic) 

2 

1 

2 

Pipes  (Creative  Software) 

Spills  and  Frills  (Creative  Software) 

- 

Coi 

3 

Touch  Typing  Tutor  (Taylormade) 

— 

i 

2 

Coco  (HesWare) 

Kinder  Comp  (Spinnaker) 

- 

4 
5 

Coco  2  (HesWare) 
Flash  'n  Spell  (Qumax) 

- 

3 

Facemaker  (Spinnaker) 

— 

4 

Hey  Diddle  Diddle  (Spinnaker) 

- 

5 

Touch  Typing  Tutor  (Taylormade) 

SB     COMPUTEI's  Gazette     September  1983 


Dry  Spell? 

What  we've  heard  consistently  this  month  from 
retailers  is  that  overall  sales  are  slow.  "Dismal," 
as  one  retailer  in  Idaho  put  it.  "The  longest  dry 
spell  we've  seen,"  according  to  another.  Specu- 
lation about  why  this  is  happening  ran  from 
"summer  activities"  to  "the  economy"  to  what  is 
probably  the  biggest  factor:  competition  from 
discount  stores. 

Since  we  started  HOT  WARE  last  month,  we 
have  lost  two  of  our  sources  for  the  last  reason. 
Many  discount  stores  can  sell  Commodore  64s, 
VlC-20s,  and  software  at  a  lower  price  than  typical 
computer  shops  because  they  can  buy  their  stock 
in  larger  quantities  at  greater  discounts.  The 
smaller  computer  stores  usually  offer  more  per- 
sonalized service  and  more  knowledgeable  sales- 
people, which  means  greater  overhead.  Because 
of  the  price  competition,  however,  some  of  these 
specialized  shops  are  dropping  products  which 
they  cannot  sell. 

That's  why  some  retailers  who  helped  usher 
in  the  microcomputer  revolution  by  selling  those 
first  machines  are  now  discontinuing  them.  The 
discounters,  though,  are  contributing  in  their 
own  way;  their  aggressive  pricing  is  making  com- 
puters more  attainable  by  more  people.  This  does 
tend  to  throw  some  business  back  to  the  computer 
stores.  Many  retailers  are  emphasizing  their  dif- 
ferences from  the  discounters  by  offering  com- 
puter classes  and  by  serving  as  consultants  for 
first-time  computer  owners. 

Still,  this  "dry  spell"  certainly  does  not  mean 
that  software  sales  as  a  whole  are  going  down  — 
they  are  just  not  living  up  to  certain  expectations. 
Long-awaited  new  software  for  the  Commodore 
64  is  doing  well. 

Commodore  64  HOTWARE 

The  Commodore  64  hotware  list  seems  to  change 
greatly  each  month.  Several  factors  may  contribute 
to  this:  the  capabilities  and  newness  of  the  com- 
puter itself  {which  means  that  programmers  are 
only  beginning  to  explore  its  potential),  the  rapidly 
declining  price  of  the  64  (which  means  thousands 
of  new  owners  are  entering  the  software  market 
each  month),  and  the  recent  flood  of  Commodore 
64  software. 

There  were  lots  of  changes  in  the  entertain- 
ment category.  Infocom  continues  to  dominate 
the  list:  it  holds  positions  two,  five,  and  ten  with 
its  Zork  I,  Suspended,  and  Zork  HI.  The  Epyx  game 
Temple  of  Apshai  fell  to  third  place,  but  it  was  re- 
placed by  Jumpman,  another  Epyx  game. 
Timeworks  made  its  debut  on  our  HOTWARE  list 
with  games  in  fourth  and  sixth  place:  Robbers  of 
the  Lost  Tomb,  which  sends  you  on  an  adventure 
in  search  of  sacred  tablets  in  ancient  Egypt;  and 


Wall  Street,  which  makes  you  a  Wall  Street  investor 
with  a  million  dollars  to  spend.  Sirios  also  appears 
for  the  first  time  with  Fast  Eddie  and  Squish 'Em, 
adventure  games  that  pit  you  against  various  crit- 
ters and  "sneakers"  as  you  try  to  obtain  treasure. 

Not  many  changes  in  the  home/business/ 
utility  category.  Popular  programs  Turtle  Graphics, 
Toll  Text,  and  Totl  Label  remain  best  sellers.  They 
are  joined  by  two  new  programs  from  Timeworks, 
Money  Manager  and  Data  Manager,  which  tied  for 
second  place  because  many  retailers  sell  them  as 
a  package.  Dome  Business  by  Compti things  and 
Easy  Script  by  Commodore  appear  for  the  first 
time  in  fourth  and  eighth  place. 

In  educational  software,  second,  third,  and 
fourth  place  were  taken  by  Spinnaker  with  Kinder 
Comp,  Pacemaker,  and  Hey  Diddle  Diddle.  HesWare 
(formerly  HES)  claimed  first  place  with  Coco 
(watch  for  Coco  2  to  appear  here  soon),  and  Taylor- 
made's  Touch  l'\/ping  Tutor  again  appears  on  the 
list  this  month  in  fifth  place. 

VIC-20  HOTWARE 

VIC-20  software  sales  seem  a  bit  more  stable  than 
those  of  I  he  Commodore  64,  though  there  are  a 
number  of  new  entries  in  the  entertainment  cate- 
gory this  month. 

Creative  Software  and  HesWare  dominate 
the  list  in  all  three  categories.  Creative  Software 
takes  first  and  tenth  place  in  entertainment  with 
Choplifter  and  Rat  Hotel',  second  and  fifth  in  busi- 
ness with  Home  Office  and  Household  Finance;  and 
first  and  second  in  education  with  Pipes  and  Spills 
and  Frills.  All  of  these  Creative  Software  programs, 
with  the  exception  of  Choplifter,  are  new  to  the  list 
this  month. 

Hes Ware's  Gridrunner  moved  up  a  few 
notches  to  be  the  third  best-selling  game.  Shatuus, 
licensed  from  Synapse  by  HesWare,  is  a  scrolling 
maze  adventure  originally  written  for  the  Atari 
that  landed  in  second  place  in  its  first  month  on 
the  list.  Turtle  Graphics,  HES  Writer,  VIC  Forth, 
and  the  6502  Professional  Development  System  (a 
cassette-based  6502  assembler  package)  are  Hes- 
Ware's  best-selling  business  programs  this  month, 
while  Coco  2  made  its  debut  in  Ihe  No.  4  slot  in 
educational  programs. 

Imagic's  Demon  Attack  premieres  in  fifth  posi- 
tion in  the  entertainment  category,  followed  by 
two  from  Commodore:  Sea  Wolf  and  Gorf.  Adven- 
ture Pack  11  from  Victory  Software  appears  in  ninth 
place  in  its  first  month  on  the  list.  © 


COMPUTE rs  Gazette 

Toll  Free  Subscription  Order  Line 

800-334-0868 

In  NC  919-275-9809 


Demon  Star 


FOR  VIC  AND  64 


Stan  McDaniel 


Packing  arcade-style  quality  into  the  unexpandcd 
5K  VIC-20  is  a  tough  BASIC  programming  chal- 
lenge, but  1  think  you'll  find  that  "Demon  Star" 
comes  through  with  flying  colors  (plus  sound  and 
custom  graphics).  Your  universe  is  being  invaded 
by  Demon  Stars,  which  appear  at  unpredictable 
intervals  and  can  destroy  all  life  forms  in  their 
vicinity.  A  defense  shield  protects  your  home  \. 
area,  but  vast  amounts  of  energy  are  needed" 
to  maintain  it. 

Your  mission:  to  penetrate  lifeless  areas 
already  devastated  by  Demon  Stars  and  to 
transmit  energy  units  back  to  your  home  planet. 

Your  starship  moves  horizontally,  vertically, 
and  diagonally,  controlled  by  a  joystick.  The 
joystick  fire  button  shoots  matter  conversion 
torpedoes.  When  you  are  not  busy  defending 
yourself  from  Demon  Stars  or  chasing 
dangerous  Quasars,  you  convert  celestial 
objects  into  valuable  energy  units  by  scoring 
direct  hits  with  your  torpedoes.  Nebulae  net 
you  five  energy  units,  single-spiral  galaxies  ten 
units,  stars  15,  and  double-spiral  galaxies  20. 

Blasting  Quasars 

Quasars  appear  frequently,  accompanied' 

by  a  deep-pitched  warning  sound.  If 

you  do  not  destroy  a  Quasar  before 

it  disappears,  you  lose  500  energy 

units.  An  energy  drop  below  zero 

destroys  your  ship,  as  does  a 

collision  with  any  celestial 

object.  Demon  Stars  show 

up  less  frequently  than 

Quasars,  but  they  are 

far  more  dangerous. 

Their  negative  energy 

field  restricts  the 

range  of  your 

torpedoes,  and 

failing  to  hit  a 

Demon  Star  within  I 

the  allotted  time  costs  ' 

you  your  ship. 

When  you  shoot  down 

60    COMPUTEI'lGojiitte    September  19  B3 


a  Quasar,  you  receive  100  energy  units.  A  Demon 

Star  gains  you  a  whopping  500  units.  In  addition, 

you  receive  aTOO-unit  bonus  every  time  you 

manage  to  collect  1000  units  on  your  own.  But 

watch  out!  When  vour  energy  .store  exceeds  3000, 

your  ship  will  begin  moving  to  a  more  densely 

populated  area  of  the  universe,  and  Demon 

Stars  will  appear  with  greater  frequency.  To 

Yelp,  you  keep  track,  your  total  accumulated 

energy  units  are  displayed  continuously.  A 

timer  also  appears  whenever  a  Quasar  or 

Demon  Star  enters  your  area. 

Preparing  Demon  Star  — 
VIC  Version 

\The  VIC-20  version  of  Demon  Star 
consists  of  two  programs:  the 
main  program,  and  a  second 
program  which  records  a 
special  data  file  on  the  cassette 
tape  following  the  main  program. 
Turn  on  your  VIC,  type  NEW,  and 
then  type  in  the  main  program  {Program 
1).  It  is  fairly  long  and  very  compact,  so  you 
must  type  with  care.  If  possible,  have  a  friend 
read  back  the  program  from  the  screen 
after  you  have  typed  it,  while  you 
check  the  printed  version. 
Many  errors  can  be  caught 
this  way. 
After  the  main  program 
has  been  typed  and  proof- 
read, copy  it  to  cassette  with 
a  SAVE  "DEMON  STAR" 
command,  then  rewind  the 
tape  and  issue  a  VERIFY 
"DEMON  STAR"  command. 
When  the  verification  is  com- 
plete, press  the  STOP  button  on 
the  recorder.  Now  clear  memory 
_s*>      with  NEW  and  type  in  the  "DATA" 
program  (Program  2).  When  this  is  completed 
accurately,  type  RUN.  You  will  be  prompted  to 
press  PLAY  and  RECORD  on  the  recorder.  When 


MP 


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In  "Demon  Star,"  the  spaceship  (center)  must  avoid  Crashing 
into  celestial  objects  while  hunting  explosive  Quasars.  (VIC- 
20  version.) 

you  do  this,  a  data  file  entitled  "DF"  will  be  copied 
to  your  tape  immediately  following  "DEMON 
STAR."  Finally,  SAVE  the  data  program  under 
the  name  "DATA"  on  another  tape,  just  in  case 
you  need  it  again.  A  spare  copy  of  the  main  pro- 
gram also  is  a  good  idea. 

To  play  the  game,  plug  a  joystick  into  the 
VIC  game  port.  Insert  the  Demon  Star  tape  into 
the  cassette  player,  rewind  it,  and  issue  a  LOAD 
command.  You  will  be  prompted  to  press  PLAY 
on  the  recorder.  When  the  program  completes 
loading,  leave  the  PLAY  button  down  and  enter  a 
RUN  command.  The  screen  color  will  change  and 
a  WAIT  message  will  appear. 

Wait  patiently  while  the  program  loads  the 
data  from  the  data  file.  You  will  see  the  tape  stop 
and  start  several  times.  Do  not  interfere  with  this 
process.  The  loading  is  complete  when  a  screen 
prompt,  "LEVEL?,"  asks  you  for  your  choice  of 
skill  levels  (there  are  ten  levels  of  play).  Press 
STOP  on  the  recorder,  type  a  number  (the  skill 
level  you  want)  between  1  and  10,  and  press 
RETURN. 

I  prefer  to  start  at  level  four,  but  a  first- time 
player  might  want  to  pick  level  two  or  three.  As 
soon  as  the  level  is  entered,  the  screen  color  will 
shift  to  deep  blue,  and  after  a  few  moments  the 
Demon  Star  universe  will  scroll  majestically  into 
view.  Your  starship  will  be  resting  at  the  bottom 
left  of  the  screen.  After  a  brief  pause  (giving  you 
lime  to  look  things  over),  the  ship  will  lake  off, 
bent  upon  its  energy-gathering  mission. 

Demon  Star  Strategy 

If  there  are  any  celestial  objects  immediately  in 
front  of  the  ship  which  might  interfere  with  your 
takeoff,  press  the  fire  button  immediately  and 
hold  it  down.  The  obstructing  objects  will  be  de- 
stroyed as  your  ship  gets  under  way.  Yellow 
double-spiral  galaxies  are  worth  the  most,  so  head 

62    COMPUTEI's  Gazette    September  1 983 


"Demon  Star' 


>r  the  Lommot 


for  them  (controlling  direction  with  the  joystick) 
and  start  firing.  Your  normal  firing  range  is  about 
one-third  of  the  screen  width.  When  a  Demon 
Star  is  on  the  screen,  the  range  drops  to  slightly 
less  than  one-fourth  of  the  screen  width. 

When  a  Quasar  appears,  you  must  find  your 
way  to  it  and  fire  your  torpedo  within  the  time 
limit,  making  some  split-second  decisions  about 
the  shortest  path  through  the  maze  of  objects. 
You  will  have  time  to  blast  one  or  two  objects  out 
of  your  way,  if  necessary.  An  unvanquished 
Quasar  drains  500  energy  units,  so  you  will  want 
to  accumulate  more  than  500  units  as  soon  as  you 
can  to  keep  from  blowing  up  (which  happens, 
remember,  anytime  your  energy  drops  below 
zero).  The  best  way  to  insure  survival  is  to  destroy 
five  Quasars  right  away. 

When  you  reach  higher  levels  of  play,  blast 
strategically  placed  objects  out  of  your  way 
quickly,  carving  out  paths  which  give  your  ship 
easier  access  to  all  areas  of  the  screen.  Your  ship 
and  your  torpedoes  can  move  across  the  screen 
border  and  come  back  on  the  other  side;  do  not 
forget  this  when  you  are  in  a  tight  spot! 

The  entry  of  a  Demon  Star  is  heralded  by  a 
blinding  flash,  followed  by  the  roaring  of  pure 
negative  energy.  Keep  calm  enough  during  this 
nerve-rattling  display  to  find  the  Demon  Star,  get 
into  firing  position,  and  destroy  it  before  your 
time  runs  out.  Demon  Stars  are  the  same  color  as 
regular  stars,  so  even  though  they  have  a  different 
shape,  you  have  to  be  sharp-eyed  to  spot  them  in 
time. 

Tile  skill  levels  automatically  advance  as  you 
score  more  points.  A  beginning  player  starting  at 
skill  level  four  will  find  it  difficult,  but  not  impos- 
sible, to  reach  a  score  of  1000.  If  you  manage  to 
accumulate  more  than  6000  energy  units,  you  will 
be  playing  at  level  eight.  An  expert  will  reach 
10,000  units  at  this  level.  Master  players  will  be 


able  to  play  at  skill  levels  nine  and  ten.  The  game 
will  not  advance  automatically  to  these  highest 
levels,  so  the  player  must  select  them  when  the 
game  starts. 

If  your  ship  is  destroyed,  your  total  score  will 
be  displayed,  and  you  will  be  asked  if  you  want 
to  play  another  round.  Typing  Y  will  start  a  new 
round,  and  typing  N  will  exit  the  program.  If  you 
exit  the  program  by  accident  and  you  want  to 
play  again,  type  RUN  7,  not  just  RUN. 

Customizing  The  VIC  Program 

For  those  who  would  like  to  change  some  of  the 
characteristics  of  play,  the  following  information 
will  prove  helpful.  To  make  changes  in  the  pro- 
gram, follow  the  editing  procedures  in  the  first 
two  chapters  of  Personal  Computing  on  the  VIC-20 
(the  manual  that  came  with  your  computer). 

Lines  12-16  lower  the  screen  out  of  visible 
range,  print  the  game  universe  on  the  screen,  and 
scroll  the  screen  up  again.  The  expression  (3*SK) 
in  line  13  determines  the  number  of  celestial  ob- 
jects which  will  appear  on  the  screen  for  any 
selected  skill  level  (SK).  If  you  want  to  make  the 
game  easier  you  can  change  this  to  (2*SK).  Note 
the  FOR/NLiXT  loop  at  the  end  of  line  16;  it  is  im- 
portant, because  the  delay  it  creates  gives  the 
player  time  to  look  over  the  situation  before  the 
action  begins.  To  create  a  longer  delay,  make  the 
loop  maximum  greater  than  1000. 

The  main  program  loop  is  in  lines  17-33.  The 
IF  statement  at  the  end  of  line  17  sends  the  pro- 
gram {at  random  intervals)  to  the  Quasar/Demon 
Star  routine  at  lines  63-66.  If  you  want  the 
Quasars  and  Demon  Stars  to  appear  with  greater 
frequency,  decrease  the  argument  of  the  function 
FNR.  For  example,  change  FNR<10)  to  FNR(8). 
Increasing  the  value  will  decrease  the  frequency. 

If  a  player  runs  out  of  time  when  a  Quasar  or 
Demon  Star  is  on  the  screen,  the  IF  statement  at 
the  end  of  line  18  sends  the  program  to  a  "time 
out"  routine  at  lines  72-74.  As  the  program  stands, 
a  player  has  about  12  seconds  before  running  out 
of  time.  To  increase  the  amount  of  time,  increase 
the  figure  700  in  line  18. 

As  you  know,  the  torpedo  firing  range  is 
inhibited  by  the  appearance  of  a  Demon  Star. 
This  is  accomplished  in  line  63  by  the  expression 
RG  =  5,  lowering  the  range  (RG)  to  five  screen 
locations  or  about  one-fourth  of  the  screen  width. 
Changing  the  value  of  RG  at  this  point  will  change 
the  Demon  Star's  effect  upon  the  range. 

The  normal  range  of  the  torpedo  is  set  by 
RG  =  8  in  line  8.  The  current  value  of  eight  screen 
locations  seems  just  right.  The  longer  you  make 
the  range,  the  easier  the  game  will  be.  If  you  decide 
to  try  out  a  different  range,  you  must  change  the 
value  of  RG  not  only  in  line  8,  but  also  in  line  46 


(this  is  where  the  range  is  reset  to  normal  after  a 
Demon  Star  has  been  destroyed). 

Scoring  for  objects  hit  is  accomplished  by 
lines  46-48.  The  formula  PT  =  PT+((L-41*5)  in  line 
47  sets  the  point  scores  5,  10,  15,  and  20  for  each 
of  the  four  types  of  objects.  Changing  the  "5"  to 
"(•>"  here  would  change  the  scores  to  6,  12,  18, 
and  24.  Line  48  sets  the  value  of  a  Quasar,  and 
line  46  establishes  the  500-point  value  of  the 
Demon  Star.  The  bonus  points  are  controlled  by 
lines  67-69. 

Another  scoring  control  appears  in  line  73, 
where  FT  =  PT-500  decreases  the  score  when  a 
Quasar  "times  out."  To  vary  the  amount  of  de- 
crease, change  the  figure  500  in  this  line. 

If  you  have  any  questions  or  comments  re- 
garding Demon  Star,  please  feel  free  to  write  me 
at  the  address  given  below.  1  will  be  happy  to 
provide  you  with  a  verified  cassette  copy  (for  VIC 
only)  of  the  game  and  the  data  program  upon 
receipt  of  a  cassette,  a  self-addressed,  stamped 
cassette  mailer,  and  S3. 

Stsn  McDaniel 
315  Oakdale  Avenue 

Mill  Valley,  CA  94941 

See  program  listings  on  page  113,9 


VIC  20    and  CBM  64T 
EXPANDER  BOARDS 


FOR  VIC  20 

QHnHB 


FOR  CBM  64 


(EHiEEEE)    .J! 


6- SLOT 

Toggles, 
I  use  and  reset 
PN  V-36 
•69.95 

G-SLOT  with 
3-lt  ribbon  cable 
P,'N  V-J6 
'89  95 


3-SLOT 
Slide  switches 
and  Iiisq 
P/N  v-23 
'49.95 


4- SLOT 

Toggles,  fusp 
and  reset 
P/N  V-24 
'59.95 


4-SLOT 
Buffered  lor 
universal  com- 
patlbilily 

Toggles,  fuse 
and  resot- 
'89.95 


CE3  VIC  20™  MEMORY 

A  multipurpose  board  with  sockets  lor  ihree  BK 
blocks  of  static  RAM  or  EPROM 
Expands  VIC  20 


memory  to  29K 
when  equipped 
Willi  24K  RAM 

System  reset  button 

Control  switches  lor 
6K  memory  blocks 

6116  RAM  or  2716  EPROM 
90-day  warranty 


Gold  connector 

Sockets  for  ell  ICs 

Sola  witti  8.  16 
or  Z4K  RAM 

PIN  VME-1 

wilh  8K  RAM  >79.9S 
With  16K  RAM  '99.95 
Willi  24K  RAM  '119. 95 

Shown  without  cover 


MONITOR/AUDIO  CABLE 


Connecls  VIC  20  or  CBM  64  to  audio  amplifier  and  TV  monitor 

Color  64  or  VIC  P/N  MC-2  '12.95 
B  &  W  64  only  P/N  MC-3    '12.95 

See  your  dealer  or  place 
your  order  directly 

VIKA  -  M/C  •  CHECK  -  COD 
TM-Tr  arte  mark  of  Commodore  Electronics  Limlled 


PRECISION  TECHNOLOGY,  INC. 

COMPUTER  PflODUCTS  DIVISION 

P.O.  (301  15454 

I  SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH  Hi  1 15 

(601)  487-83*6 


September  1983     COMPUTE!1!  Gazette    63 


& 


othol 


Joe  W.  Rocke 


In  addition  to  being  a  challenging  game  for 
the  VIC  and  Commodore  64,  "Potholes"  dem- 
onstrates how  user-generated  graphics  can 
produce  an  arcade-quality  display  in  an  unex- 
pandedVIC. 


A  chance  remark  about  the  condition  of  our  local 
streets  sparked  the  idea  for  a  game  1  call 
"Potholes."  After  my  introduction  to  the  VIC-20, 
I  felt  it  had  more  potential  than  that  demonstrated 
by  programs  in  the  owner's  manual.  With  this  in 
mind,  I  set  about  to  develop  a  program  demon- 
strating features  usually  displayed  in  video  games. 

Potholes  provided  an  ideal  way  to  explore 
how  to  combine  a  unique  playing  field,  custom 
graphics  characters,  a  multicolor  display,  sound, 
and  fast  movement  in  a  single  program.  In  addi- 
tion, the  ultimate  challenge  was  to  squeeze  the 
program  into  an  unexpanded  VIC-20  without 
losing  the  custom  graphics. 

A  Good  Citizen 

A  symmetrical  city  map  provides  the  basic  layout 
for  the  game.  The  streets  are  filled  with  potholes. 
Two  cars,  each  a  different  color,  are  parked  at 
opposite  corners  of  the  city.  You,  the  player,  a 
public-spirited  citizen,  are  determined  to  fill  the 
potholes  by  driving  through  the  streets.  For  each 
pothole  you  fill,  you  gain  five  points.  The  score  is 
displayed  and  constantly  updated  as  you  obliter- 
ate the  potholes. 

Meanwhile,  the  street  commissioner  (the 
computer)  is  determined  to  replace  the  potholes 
so  he  can  keep  his  street  crew  busy.  He  also  wants 

64    COMPUTE!'!  Gazette    September  1983 


to  stop  the  do-gooder  so  he  can  get  back  to  his 
desk.  As  he  dashes  through  the  streets  trying  to 
intercept  you,  his  car  leaves  a  trail  of  potholes. 

Your  car  moves  under  keyboard  guidance. 
The  commissioner's  car  automatically  takes  a  pre- 
set course  at  first,  but  as  play  continues,  the  com- 
missioner becomes  smarter  and  assumes  an  inter- 
cept course.  A  collision  between  the  two  cars  ter- 
minates the  plav.  The  score  is  moved  to  the  HIGH 
SCORE  block,  and  the  SCORE  block  is  reset  to 
zero.  The  playing  field  is  reset,  and  the  cars  are 
returned  to  their  respective  corners  for  the  next 
play. 

The  multicolor  display  and  the  cars  are  the 
more  unusual  aspects  of  the  game.  The  cars  not 
only  change  direction,  but  also  maintain  proper 
orientation  to  the  direction  of  movement.  The 
custom  characters  which  make  up  the  playing 
field  and  cars  demonstrate  the  high-resolution 
display  capabilities  of  the  VIC-20: 

Overcoming  The  Problems 

Moving  a  custom  character  (such  as  the  car)  about 
a  playing  field  poses  three  primary  problems: 
position  control,  character  protection,  and  low 
memory  overhead.  Memory  overhead  was  a  major 
concern  in  developing  a  program  of  this  type.  To 
meet  this  requirement,  a  two-part  program  ap- 
proach was  used. 

The  initialization  (Program  1)  is  literally  the 
heart  of  the  game.  It  contains  the  data  for  the  cus- 
tom characters  and  loads  it  into  a  block  of  protected 
memory.  This  prevents  the  data  from  being  de- 
stroyed when  the  main  program  is  loaded.  After 
the  initialization  program  is  run,  it  automatically 
self-destructs  to  free  memory  space  occupied  by 


AARDVARK  L.T.D. 
TRS-80  COLOR       COMMODORE  64      VIC-20      SINCLAIR/TIMEX       TI99/4A 


QUEST  -  A  NEW  IDEA  IN  ADVENTURE 
GAMES!  Different  from  all  the  others. 
Quest  is  plaved  on  a  computer  generated 
map  of  Alesia.  Your  job  is  to  gather  men 
and  supplies  by  combat,  bargaining,  explor- 
ation of  ruins  and  temples  and  outright 
banditry.  When  your  force  is  strong  enough, 
you  attack  the  Citadel  of  Moorlock  in  a 
life  or  death  battle  to  the  finish.  Playable 
in  2  to  5  hours,  this  one  is  different  every 
time.  TRS-80  Color,  and  Sinclair,  13K  VIC- 
20.  Extended  BASIC  required  for  TRS-80 
Color  and  TI99/A.  $14.95  each. 

32K  TRS  80  COLOR  Version  324.95. 

Adds  a  second  level  with  dungeons  and 
more  Questing. 


JUL 


&l 


Tamer  ^^ 


WIZARDS  TOWER  -  This  is  very  similar  to 
Quest  (see  above}.  We  added  wizards,  magic, 
dragons,  and  dungeons  to  come  up  with  a 
Quest  with  a  D&D  flavor.  It  reauircs  16k 
extended  color  BASIC,  13k  VIC,  Commo- 
dore 64,  TRS-80  16k  Extended  BASIC, 
TI99/A  extended  BASIC.  $14.95  Tape, 
$19.95  Disk. 

Authors  —  Aardvark  pays  the  highest  com- 
missions in  the  industry  and  gives  programs 
the  widest  possible  advertising  coverage. 
Send  a  Self  Addressed  Stamped  Envelope 
for  our  Authors  Information  Package. 


ZEUS 


ZEUS  —  It's  fast  and  furious  as  you  become 
the  WIZARD  fighting  off  the  Thurderbolts 
of  an  angry  ZEUS.  Your  Cone  of  Cold  will 
destroy  a  thunderbolt  and  your  shield  will 
protect  you  —  for  a  while.  This  is  the  best 
and  highest  speed  arcade  action  we  have 
ever  done.  Difficulty  increases  in  wave  after 
wave,  providing  hours  of  challenging  fun 
and  a  game  that  you  may  never  completely 
master.  Commodore  64,  Vic20  (16k  ex- 
pander), and  16k  TRS-80  Color  Computer. 
(ALL  MACHINE  CODE!) 
$19.95  tape  $24.95  disk.  (Tape  will  not 
transfer  to  disk.} 


SEAWOLFE  -  ALL  MACHINE  CODE  In 
this  high  speed  arcade  game,  you  lay  out 
patterns  of  torpedoes  ahead  of  the  attacking 
PT  boats.  Requires  Joysticks,  at  least  13k 
RAM,  and  fast  reflexes.  Lots  of  Color  and 
Sound.  A  fun  game.  Tape  or  Disk  for  Vic20, 
Commodore  64,  and  TRS-80  Color.  NOTE: 
tape  will  not  transfer  to  disk! 
$19.95  Tape  -  324.95  Disk, 


ADVENTURES!!! 

The  Adventures  below  are  written  in  BASIC, 
are  full  featured,  fast  action,  full  plotted  ad- 
ventures that  take  30-50  hours  to  play.  (Ad- 
ventures ore  interactive  fantasies.  It's  like 
reading  a  book  except  that  you  are  the  main 
character  as  you  give  the  computer,  com- 
mands like  "Look  in  the  Coffin"  and  "Light 
the  torch.") 

Adventuring  requires  16k  on  Sinclair, 
and  TRS-80  Color.  They  require  8k  on  OSI 
and  13k  on  VIC-20.  Now  available  for  TI99. 
Any  Commodore  64. 

$14.95  Tape  -  $19.96  Disk. 

ESCAPE  FROM  MARS 
Iby  Rodger  Olsen) 
This  ADVENTURE  takes  place  on  the  RED 
PLANET.  You'll  have  to  explore  a  Martian 
city  and  deal  with  possibly  hostile  aliens  to 
survive  this  one.  A  good  first  adventure. 

PYRAMID  (by  Rodger  Olsen) 
This  is  our  most  challenging  ADVENTURE. 
It  is  a  treasure  hunt  in  a  pyramid  lull  of 
problems.  Exciting  and  tough! 


U7iqccw#     , 


Dungeons  of  Death  —  This  is  the  first  D&D 
type  game  good  enough  to  qualify  at  Aard- 
vark. This  is  serious  D&D  that  allows  1  to  6 
players  to  go  on  a  Dragon  Hunting,  Monster 
Killing.  Dungeon  Exploring  Quest.  Played 
on  an  on-screen  map,  you  get  a  choice  of 
race  and  character  (Human,  Dwarf,  Soldier, 
Wizard,  etc.),  a  chance  to  grow  from  game 
to  game,  and  a  15  page  manual.  16k  Ex- 
tended TRS-80  Color,  13k  VIC,  Commo- 
dore 64.  At  the  normal  price  for  an  Adven- 
ture (14.95  tape.  $19.95  disk),  this  is  a  give- 
away. 

Dealers  —  We  have  a  line  of  about  100  origi- 
nal programs  for  the  machines  listed  here. 
We  have  High  speed  Arcades,  Quality  Ad- 
ventures, Word  processors  and  Business 
Software  for  Small  machines.  Better  yet, 
we  have  excellent  Dealer  support.  Phone  for 
information. 


Send  $1.00  for  Complete  Catalogue   -   Please  specify  system  on  all  orders 


\ 


$2.00  Shipping  Charge  on  each  order 

AARDVARK  L.T.D. 
VSa^  2352  S.  Commerce,  Walled  Lake,  Ml  48088  /  [313]  669-3110 
Phone  Orders  Accepted  8:00  a.m.  to  4:00  p.m.  EST.  Mon.-Fri. 


.*»    f'Hlflti|J%    ** 


hi  "Potholes,"  you  must  navigate  deteriorating  city 
streets  in  your  car  while  fleeing  from  the  pursuing  Street 
Commissioner.  (VIC-20  version.) 

the  program  lines. 

The  main  program  (Program  2)  contains  all 
the  elements  necessary  to  display  the  playing 
field,  control  characters,  produce  sound,  and 
maintain  the  score.  Note  the  unusual  characters 
in  the  program  listing.  Be  sure  to  type  these  as 
shown,  for  the  custom  characters  replace  the 
characters  normally  stored  in  these  key  locations. 

Be  sure  to  SAVE  the  listing  to  tape  after  typing 
it  in.  Once  you  have  the  program  debugged  to 
eliminate  typing  errors,  try  different  color  codes 
for  the  background  and  maze.  If  you  like  to  ex- 
periment, try  including  a  loop  that  will  change 
the  color  of  the  game  field  after  each  play.  There 
are  about  500  plus  bytes  of  memory  left  for  ex- 
perimentation after  the  main  program  is  loaded. 
The  color  quality  of  the  display  will  depend  upon 
your  TV  monitor.  The  ideal  combination  would 
be  colors  that  provide  a  high  contrast. 

The  Custom  Characters 

Since  all  VIC  characters  arc  stored  in  ROM,  this 
information  cannot  be  changed  by  the  user.  But 
the  ROM  character  pointer  is  stored  in  RAM,  and 
it  can  be  changed  to  point  elsewhere  in  RAM.  The 
pointer  is  at  decimal  36869,  36870.  The  normal 
PEEK  value  of  36869  is  240,  which  enables  the 
cursor  and  uppercase  character/g  rap  hie  set.  (A 
value  of  242  enables  the  alternate  lower/uppercase 
set.)  POKEing  36869,255  moves  the  pointer  from 
the  normal  32768  address  to  7168,  which  is  the 
top  of  BASIC  RAM.  Since  the  range  of  BASIC 
RAM  is  normally  from  4096  to  7679,  moving  the 
pointer  to  7168  protects  512  bytes,  enough  room 
for  64  characters,  from  BASIC. 

Because  custom  characters  require  redefining 
existing  keys,  the  selection  was  based  on  keys  not 
required  for  programming.  In  this  case,  the  right 
and  left  math  brackets  ([  ]),  the  up  (  f  )  and  left(--) 
arrows  (not  cursor  arrows),  and  the  exclamation 

66    COMPUTE'S  Gazette    September  19B3 


HIGH 
SCORE 


'Potholes"  for  the  Commodore  64. 


mark  (!)  were  reserved  for  character  definition. 

In  addition,  the  RAM  area  used  to  store  the 
custom  characters  must  be  protected  so  it  will  not 
be  disturbed  by  the  main  BASIC  program.  This 


Structu 

re  Of  Initialization  Program 

Lines 

190-200 

Reset  memory  pointers  to  permit  loading  character 
data. 

210-220 

Block  move  to  move  desired  graphicand  text  char- 
acters from  ROM  to  RAM. 

230 

System  call  to  initiate  the  move. 

240-250 

Load  data  for  custom  designed  characters. 

260 
270-290 

Set  memory  pointers  to  protect  data . 
User  prompt  and  delete  program. 

Structure  Of  Potholes  For  The  VIC 

Lines 

50 

Reset  pointer  to  point  to  custom  character  set 
in  RAM. 

890-1070 

Set  up  the  playing  field. 

70-120 

Key  scan  routine  to  check  for  driver  input  that 

moves  red  car. 

180-210 

Computation  of  playing-field  coordinates. 

310 
320-330 

Pick  up  potholes,  increment  score,  sound  on/off. 
Sound  routine. 

600-700 

Sound  routine. 

740-860 

Game  end  prompts. 

870-880 

Recycle  game  for  next  play. 

Variables  Listing 

A,B 

BO 

CA 

CN 

CR 

D 

Sere  en  p  ri  n  t  loca  t  i  o  n 

Bonus  points  per  game 

Sets  number  of  plays  per  game  (line  1090) 

Sets  field  color  background  (line  580) 

Color  screen  -  experiment  with  different  values 

Sound  effects  on/off 

HS 
HX,HY 

High  score 
Playing-field  coordinates 

S 

Current  score 

SL 
SU 

Sound  loop 
Sound  routine 

TE 

Total  accumulator  for  score 

VR 

Screen  print  location 

is  accomplished  by  adjusting  the  top-of-BASIC 
pointer  (51-52)  and  top-of-string  pointer  (55-56). 
(In  the  6502  chip,  the  low  byte  is  stored  first,  fol- 
lowed by  the  high  byte.)  Both  pointers  normally 
point  to  7680  and  must  be  changed  to  point  to 
7168.  This  change  is  made  when  the  initialization 
program  is  run. 

To  examine  the  custom  characters  individu- 
ally, load  and  run  both  the  initialization  and  the 
main  program.  With  the  main  program  running, 
press  RUN/STOP  (do  not  press  RESTORE).  Now 
try  pressing  the  keys  that  have  been  redefined  for 
custom  characters. 

Repairing  The  Roads 

The  M,  K,  H,  and  U  keys  are  used  to  maneuver 
your  car.  (See  the  figure.)  As  you  obliterate  a 
pothole,  the  act  is  accompanied  by  a  Mopping 
sound,  and  your  score  is  increased  by  five  points. 
Meanwhile,  the  commissioner  (blue  car)  is  on  his 
way  to  wipe  you  out.  If  he  travels  a  street  you 
have  cleaned  up,  he  leaves  a  new  (yellow)  pothole 
in  his  wake. 

At  the  game's  end,  a  prompt  gives  the  player 
a  choice  of  repeating  or  exiting  the  game.  A  "yes" 
response  restarts  the  game,  retaining  the  high 
score.  If  you  wish  to  reset  the  HIGH  SCORE  dis- 


Keyboard  Control  Diagram 


|u] 


H®- 


-gdH 


play,  press  SHIFT  and  CLEAR/HOME.  A  "no" 
response  restores  the  ROM  character  pointer  and 
returns  the  VIC  to  "Ready"  status. 

64  Notes 

In  the  64  version  of  Potholes,  there  is  no  sound 
routine.  Because  of  the  abundant  memory  avail- 
able in  the  64,  Program  3  is  self-contained.  There 
is  no  need  to  load  and  run  the  initialization 
program. 

Sec  program  listings  on  page  J 15.  (g) 


"SMART  TERMINAL" 

TELECOMPUTING  POWER 
FOR  VIC  ■  20 

COMMODORE  64 

"Smart-Term"  does  more  than  convert 
your  VIC  or  64  to  a  null  terminal,  it 
gives  you  features  other  programs 
don't  offer,  such  as: 

—  A  PET  to  ascii  conversion  test  mode 

—  Transmits  all  ascii  control  characters 

—  Transmils  122  ascii  codes 

—  Receives  92  ascii  codes 

—  Has  repeat  key  feature 

—  Allows  you  to  enter  and  save  lour  perma- 
nent messages  (up  to  80  characters  each) 
for  one  key,  transmission  of  code,  pass- 
word, names,  messages,  etc. 

—  Easy  lo  read,  smooth  scrolling  characters 

—  Fully  menu  driven  tor  reliability  and  ease 
of  use 

—  Transmits  and  receives  in  seperate  cha- 
racter colors  (selectable) 

—  Many  other  features 

One  ol  Iho  best  telecommunications  programs 

available,  "Smart-Term"  converts  your  VIC  or  64 

into  a  SMART  TERMINAL  Requires  minimum  3K 

expansion. 

TO  ORDER;         Specify  VIC-20  or  64; 

TAPE:  S16S5  or 

DISK:  S1B.95 

(us.  funds)   +   S1 .50  P&H 


TO  ORDER  SEND  CHECK  OH  MONEY  ORDER.  CHECK 
NEED  THREE  WEEKS  TO  CLEAR.  NO  CO.DYsTO  U.S. 
CANADIAN  ORDERS  ADD  2b««  FOR  CON.  FUNDS. 

BYTE  —  RYTE 

P.O.  BOX  205,  STATION  CART. 

MONTREAL,  QUEBEC 

H4K  2J5  CANADA 

DEALER  INQUIRIES  INVITED 
VIC-20  and  Commodore?  S4  are  registorrrtt  trademarks  ol 

Commodora  Business  Machines  Inc. 


KONGO  KONG  S19.95 

Ctiriih  ladders:  avoid  barrels 
trm  cra/.y  ape  is  rolling  al 
you.  Rescue  the  damsel.  Par- 
tially machine  code  for 
smooth,  fast  action.  Key- 
board or  joystick. 

LUDWIG'S 

LEMON  LASERS  S14.95 
You'd  never  think  blasting 
temuns  oul  of  Mil?  sky  could 
be  so  much  fun!  PiM  ma- 
chine curie  action.  Omi  or 
two  players,  Written  by  llu? 
demented  doctor  who  (ffivt? 
us  "Hospital  Adventure". 
VIC  20  only. 

METAMORPHOSIS         31B.9S 

You  stumbled  into  tin?  nest 
of  the  Cyplorx  and  find 
yourself   "u.:!:'.i..-.   off    robot 

laiiks  guarding  (tie  Cygtorx 

egg*.  Vou  think  you  have 
everything  u  infer  control 
and  then  the  eggs  start 
hatching.  Commodore  64 
version  has  4  screens, 


ADVENTURES 

The  best  adventures  at  the 
icst  prktosl  Controlled  from 
Ihe  keyboard. 

GRAVE  ROBBERS  S14.95 
IntrixlueiriM  the  lirslGRAl'HIC 
ADVKNTtiKK  ever  available 
on  the  VIC-20!  Explore  an  old 
deserted  graveyard.  Actually 
see  the  perils  that  lie  beyond. 

ADVENTURE  PACK  I 
(3  Programs)  $19.95 

MOON  BAKE  ALPHA- 
Dcslroy  the  meteor  Ibat  is  rac- 
ing towards  your  base, 
COMPUTER  ADVENTURB- 
Re  live  tin-  exi  itenienl  i>t  gel 
ling  your  ttrsl  adventure. 
BIC  HAD  WOLF— Don't  lot 
the  wolf  gobble  ynu  up, 

ADVENTURE  PACK  [I 

[3  Programs]  $19.95 

AFRICAN  ESCAPE- Kind 
your  way  off  (tie  continent 
after  surviving  a  plana  crash. 
HOSPITAL  ADVKNTURE- 
Written  by  a  medical  doctor. 
Don't  nbeck  into  this  hospital! 
BOMB  THREAT-Cel  back  to 
town  in  time  lo  warn  the 
bomb  squad  of  the  bomb. 


COMMODORE 
64® 


Mj** 


ZmLZP~jri& 


PROGRAMS  FOR  THE    COMMODURK  K4  AND  VIC  20 


ANNIEULATOR  $19.95 
ProtecJ  your  jihmH  against 
hostile  alum*  in  I  his 
ti  lender- 1  ikr  jiiimu.  All 
machine  code  fur  fjisl  ar- 
cade action,  joystick 
rirquired. 

TREK  $14.95 

Commanding  (hi;  bridge:  of 
your  sUirship.  you  explore 
Mm:  galaxy,  fending  >U  ■■■■>■ 
Klin^on  invasion  with  your 
phasars  and  photon  torpa* 
does,  at  the  same  lima  con- 
serving your  tlmitod  time 

and  energy. 

Check  your  local  dealer. 

Send  for  free  c&llfafl 

Ad  programs  fit  in  |tw  -sumiard 

VIC  memori,  ami  come  mi 

tip*?  or  rii»k- 
Qfdorlrtg— pImm  idd  $i  M 

pOitflgD   ft    I II.:   i-    pt't  ■!:■■: 

\\'\  t\:-,\ilv.n\h  iliiff  Fi%  s-rklir^  \a\ 
Credit  Kami  usHtt— inctudst 
number  and  (Mtplraltan  i  :' 


VICTOR V  SOFTWARE  CORP. 

7  VALLEY  BROOK  ROAD 

PAOLt,  PA   19301 

fZ15)  2Wv3787 


September  1 983    COMPUTE!'*  Gazette    67 


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ERE,  OUT  THERE, 
ABESTSELLING  PROGRAM 


WHERE  IS rr? 


Wherever  it  is,  we  want  it.  Maybe,  just  maybe,  we're 
searching  for  your  program,  but  we'll  never  find  it 
unless  you  call  us. 

It  lias  to  be  good,  though.  Because  we're  the 
Software  Guild",  an  organization  devoted  to  finding 
the  very  best  microcomputer  programs  for  packaging 
and  distribution  under  the  Sofismith'"  label.  Hundreds 
of  titles  have  already  been  licensed  to  the  Softsmith 
library.  But  they're  only  the  beginning.  Our  goal  is  to 
have  the  best  program  in  major  categories  on  every 


popular  machine.  Of  course,  we  can't  do  it  without  you. 

If  you're  a  program  author  or  publisher,  The 
Software  Guild  offers  some  distinct  professional  and 
monetary  advantages. 

First,  you  devote  your  time  to  what  you  do  best: 
programming.  You  can  leave  the  manufacturing, 
packaging,  documentation,  distribution  and  customer 
service  to  us. 

Second,  our  revolutionary  retail  merchandising 
system  will  put  your  program  before  the  public  through 
the  n<  >rmal  computer  and  software  stores,  plus  rec<  ml 
outlets,  department  stores,  book  shops,  and  more 
places  where  software  has  never  before  been  available. 


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IS  BEINGWRITTEN. 


Third,  Is  royalties.  Wider  distribution  means  more 
substantial  royalties.  And,  your  Software  Guild 
royalties  start'to  aecruc  when  the  dealer  makes  his  pur- 
chase in  quantity,  so  you  aren't  left  waiting  while 
money  trickles  In. 

Fourth  is  flexibility.  We  do  not  insist  on  the 
exclusive  rights  to  your  program.  You  can  deal  with 
other  publishers  and  distributors,  or  market  your  pro- 
gram yourself,  while  it  is  in  Softsmith  distribution. 

We  know  you're  out  there,  working  and  dream- 
ing, and  we  want  to  help  make  your  dream  come  true. 
Our  full  staff  of  professional  cvaluators  are  waiting  to 
review  vour  best-seller. 


■B 


T-BJnfA 


So  call  us,  wherever  you  are. 

Contact  Regina  Roberts  at  (4 1 5 )  487-  5200. 

Or  write;  /"~~\  v  ^ 

The  Software  Guild  ■>',     jL    V, 

2935  Whipple  Rd.  a/.  "[jfljf\'  * 


Union  City,  CA  94587 


- 


..,• 


The  Software  Guild 

(415)487-5200 


?HI»!4'il4Vi 


Jim  Connelley 

The  Programmer  Behind 
Temple  OfApshai 


Kathy  Yakal,  Editorial  Assistant 


In  the  few  months  it  has  been 
on  the  market  for  the  Commo- 
dore 64,  Temple  of  Apshai  has 
enjoyed  tremendous  success. 
Here's  a  look  at  the  man  who 
created  it,  Jim  Connelley, 
chairman  of  Epyx  Software. 


Many  of  today's  suc- 
cessful game  pro- 
grammers were  still 
in  junior  high  school 
when  the  first  microcomputers 
came  out.  But  Jim  Connelley, 
the  programmer  behind  Temple 
of  Apshai,  has  watched  the  evo- 
lution of  these  macli  i  nes  for  20         Jim  Connelley 
years. 

Connelley  became  interested  in  programming 
in  the  1960s  while  he  was  in  college.  As  a  math 
and  physics  major,  he  realized  that  computers 
were  important  in  advanced  problem-solving. 
But  what  really  intrigued  him  about  computers 
and  enticed  him  into  programming  was  "the  need 
to  make  an  inanimate  object  do  what  you  want  it 
to  do/'  he  says.  "It's  fun  to  do  that.  I  think  most 
programmers  would  agree."  Connelley  went  on 
to  work  as  a  programmer  in  a  division  of  Westing- 
house  which  built  nuclear  reactors. 

So  why  did  he  start  writing  games?  "I've 
always  been  interested  in  games  as  games,  even 
before  microcomputers  came  into  being,"  says 

70    COMPUTEIS  Gazette    September  1983 


Connelley.  He  bought  a  Commo- 
dore PET  computer  in  1978  and 
started  developing  game  ideas. 
His  first  efforts  became  Star  fleet 
Orion  and  Invasion  Orion.  About 
the  same  time,  Connelley  formed 
Epyx  Software,  of  which  he  is 
still  chairman. 

Connelley  prefers  writing 
games  to  his  earlier  programming 
jobs.  "There's  something  very 
nice  about  creating  a  good  game 
that  people  can  enjov,"  he  says. 
"Other  types  of  programming 
are  not  as  satisfying." 

X  emple  of  Apshai,  the  Epyx  game 
that  is  so  popular  right  now,  is  a 
"dungeon  quest."  The  player  is 
given  (or  is  allowed  to  create)  a 
warrior  with  strengths  and  weaknesses.  This 
character  purchases  weapons  and  armor  from  a 
bartering  innkeeper,  then  sets  off  for  the  dun- 
geon's many  rooms  to  find  treasures  and  defend 
himself  against  antmen,  giant  mosquitoes,  and 
other  creatures. 

Temple  of  Apshai  came  about  for  two  reasons. 
First,  Connelley  recognized  the  popularity  of 
noncomputer  role-playing  games,  such  as  Dun- 
geons and  Dragons.  Second,  he  believed  it  would 
be  possible  to  create  a  graphics-oriented  adventure 
game  on  the  Radio  Shack  TRS-80  computer.  So 
he  did  it. 

But,  Connelley  acknowledges,  he  didn't  do  it 


Temple  of  Apshai,"  Commodore  64  version. 


alone.  "1  find  a  team  approach  helpful  in  pro- 
gramming." Though  lie  was  the  main  programmer 
on  the  original  version  of  Temple  ofApshai,  several 
other  people  were  involved  in  the  development. 
One  of  them,  Steve  Bryson,  translated  the  game 
for  the  Commodore  64, 

Versions  for  other  personal  computers  have 
evolved,  depending  on  each  machine's 
capabilities.  Naturally,  each  new  version  adds 
even  more  features  to  the  basic  concept. 

Sequels  to  Temple  of  Apshai  have  been  created. 
The  first,  Upper  Readies  of  Apshai,  is  a  tongue-in- 
cheek  adventure  that  takes  place  in  the  innkeeper's 
backyard.  Curse  of  Ra,  the  third  in  the  series,  is  set 
in  ancient  Egypt  and  is  more  difficult  than  the 
first  two.  The  sequels  are  not  stand-alone  pro- 
grams, but  essentially  data  files;  Temple  of  Apshai 
must  be  loaded  before  they  can  be  run. 

Connelley  cites  several  reasons  for  the  success 
of  the  dungeon  quests.  "We  took  a  lot  of  care  and 
effort  to  make  something  that  played  well,"  he 
savs.  "We  spent  two  months  in  intensive  play- 
testing,  getting  algorithms  {programming  pat- 
terns) that  would  make  a  good  game... and  the 
basic  subject  is  interesting  to  lots  of  people.  People 
like  role-playing  fantasies." 

Another  reason  may  be  that  some  people  are 
tiring  of  so-called  "shoot-em-up"  games.  Strategy 
games  are  generally  much  more  complex  than 
games  based  on  fast  reactions.  Strategy  games 
use  huge  data  files,  which  require  more  time  for 
loading,  but  which  in  return  provide  players  with 
hundreds  of  different  screen  images  and  chal- 
lenges. Connelley  believes  the  market  will  con- 
tinue to  move  towards  such  games. 

To  do  well  in  Temple  of  Apshai,  for  example, 
Connelley  says  it's  important  to  pay  attention  to 
the  strengths  of  your  character.  If  your  character 


has  a  lot  of  ego  and  gets  wounded,  he  would 
probably  continue  to  fight  just  to  prove  that  he 
can:  subtle  things  like  that. 

Connelley  warns  aspiring  game  writers  that 
programming  involves  "fewer  tricks  than  hard 
work.  An  important  part  is  thinking  clearly  and 
logically  about  the  process.  You  have  to  have 
a  clear  idea  of  what  you  want  the  game  to  do, 
and  how  people  are  going  to  interact  with  it  and 
enjoy  it."  cj} 


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FREE  WITH  PURCHASE  of  each  Z-BO  card.SQ  column, 
40  column  ot  Video  Pick  64.  you  receive  lha  following: 
Word  Miitet  word  protestor  software 
Mailing  Liit  software 
Telecommunication!  software 


1,1  no1  ,  »  hpC  hi  »l«    ID, 

dniit  ,"D.",|  i.i  i  ■■»"H 
wiMoul  "Ci i (1i  in, i4ii 
,.en<ifii  in  prtva.i 

-i-;  .-;  II  11.  in  O'Oi. 


Out  id  lha  tremendous  dtmind  of  these 
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September  1983    COMPUTE!'!  Gazette    71 


"■■■flMlPU  SEnSEi:/ 


Commodore  64 
$43500 

Plus  you  receive  a  free  QBF 
Word  Processor  valued  at 
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VIC-20 

$88°° 

When  you  buy  our  6  Game  Pac 
or  6  Finance  Pack  $43.00 


VIC-20™  &  C-64™  Hardware 


VIC- 1541 
VIC-1530 
VtC-1515 
VIC-1010 
VIC-131  1 

VIC-1312 


Disk  Drive 

Datasette 

Printer 

Expansion  Module 

Joystick 

Wico  Joystick 

Game  Paddles 

Telephone  Modem 

Terminal  Emulator  (64} 


347.00 

67.50 

334.95 

139.95 

9.95 

28.00 

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Tape 
Disk 
40x25  Terminal  Emulator  VIC 
VIC-1210  VIC3K  Memory  Expander  Cart. 

Plugs  direclly  Into  Ihe  VIC  s  expansion  port.  Expands  10  8K  RAM  total 
VlC-1110  VIC  3K  Memory  Expander  Cart.  52.50 

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Provides  Interface  between  the  VIC-20"  and  RS232telecommunicalions  modems 
Connects  lo  VIC'S  user  port 
PETSPEED — 

Basic  Compiler  for  Commodore  140.00 

Vic  Rabbit  Cartridge  35  00 

C-64 »  Rabbit  35,00 

Star  G-10  Printer  36o!oO 

Mura  Modem  1 20^00 

Smith  Corona  TP-1  Printer  650^00 


Fantasy  Software  for  C-64™ 

Suggested        Sale 
Retail  Price 

Cli„h+Ci  Disk  1795  1595 

Flight  64  Tape  15.95         13.95 

VOU  are  the  pilot  in  this  realislic  (light  simulation   Your  mission  15  lo  make  an  IFR 

flight,  avoiding  treacherous  mountains  and  other  hazards. 

Datafile  Tape  1S.95       13.95 

A  dala-baso  management  program  which  lends  ilsell  well  to  address  lists,  col- 
lodions, club  lists,  otc  Records  can  be  SORTED  FOUND  SAVED  EDITED 
and  UPDATED. 

Crito  i-o„  2isk  17'9S  159S 

Sprite  Gen  Tape  15.95       13.95 

This  program  allows  you  to  easily  design  spriles  for  use  in  your  own  programs. 

i_„_a«i«  Disk  17.95         15.95 

Loan  Calc  Tape  15.95        13.95 

Long  and  short  term  loans,  mortgages,  educalional  loans;  all  computed  in  sec- 
onds and  displayed  in  an  easy  lo  understand  (ormat. 

«  „  Disk  17.95         15.95 

Compullo  Tape  15.95         13.95 

This  is  a  colorful  adaptation  of  the  popular  game  of  Othello  lor  the  U4, 

- ..  Disk  17.95         15.95 

UUnSlinger  Tape  15.95  13.95 

An  old  west  shool-oul  for  two  players  leaturing  color  sprite  animation  and  sound 
cflects  Take  cover  behind  a  cactus  and  watch  the  bullets  llyl'  Requires  joy- 
sticks. 


Cardco  Inc. 

Sale 
•*        .■  .  —  Price 

Cardboard  6  SS7.50 

An  expansion  inlerlace  tor  the  VIC-20-  allows  expansion  to  40K  or  accepts  up 

to  six  games  May  be  darsy  chained  for  more  versatility. 

Cardboard  3  $35.95 

Economy  expansion  interface  for  the  VIC-201-, 

Card  "?"  Card/Print  S76.00 

Universal  Cenlronics  Parallel  Printer  Inlerlace  lor  the  VIC-20"  or  C-64-  Use  an 
Epson  MX-BOor  OKIDATA  or  TANDY  or  |ust  about  any  other 

Cardette  S30.95 

Use  any  standard  cassette  player  / recorder  wilh  your  VIC-20'"  or  C-64". 

Cardriter  S29.95 

A  light  pen  wilh  six  programs  lo  use  with  your  VIC-20'"  or  C-64". 

Cardram  16  S50.5O 

A  16K  memory  expansion  cartridge  lor  the  VIC-20'"  personal  computer. 


Hes  Software  for  VIC-20 ™  &  C-64™ 


6502  Professional  Development 
System 


Suggested 
Retail 

29.95 


Sale 
Price 

24.95 


Vic  Forth  VIC-20'"  &  C-64'"  59.95         54.95 

ts  a  powerful  language  lor  those  who  want  to  go. beyond  BASIC  programming  II 
is  an  interactive  language  that  is  very  memory  efficient  and  much  taster  than 
BASIC,  yet  easier  10  use  lhan  assembly  language 

Hes  Mon  VIC-20"  4  C-64"  39.95         34.95 

Allows  serious  program  development  on  Ihe  VIC-20""  HES  MON  is  a  6502 

machine  language  monitor,  with  a  mini-assembler,  thai  is  Indispensible  lor  all 
assembly  language  programmers, 

Hes  Writer  vic-20 '-  39.95       34.95 

Hes  Writer  c-64 ~  44.95       40.95 

Is  a  so  phis  heated,  time-saving  word  processing  tool  for  your  VIC-20".  Now  you 
can  produce  professional-quality  letters,  memos  and  manuscripts  with  ease. 

Turtle  Graphics        VIC-20-  39.95       34.95 

Turtle  Graphics  II  c-64  -  59.95       54.95 

It  is  the  ideal  way  for  computer  novices  to  learn  programming.  II  is  fun,  easy-lo- 
use computer  language  lhat  lets  oven  beginners  master  the  computer  in  iusl  a 

few  minutes. 


Games  for  VIC-20" 


Aggressor 
Synthesound 
Shamus 
Proctor 
Robot  Panic 
Pirate  Peril 
Retro  Ball 
Gridrunner  vic-20"' 


&C-64' 


39.95 

34.95 

59.95 

54.95 

39.95 

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43.95 

40.95 

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34.95 

39.95 

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39.95 

34.95 

UMI  Software  for  VIC-20™ 

Suggested       Sale 
Rotail  Price 

Cassette       24.95        20.00 
Amok  Cartridge      39.95         36.00 

Prisoner  of  live  Amok  Robots  —  Destroy  the  robots  lo  escape 

Spides  Of  Mars  Cartridge       39.95         36.00 

You  are  Martian  Space  Fly  You  baltlo;  evil  forces  ol  interplanetary  space. 

Renaissance  Cartridge      39,95         36.00 

Use  your  intellect  against  Ihe  computer's  logic:  1 000  years  ago. 

Meteor  Run  Cartridge      39.00        36.95 

Command  the  Flagship  of  Solar.  Your  mission  .  .  .  conquer  Atdebaron. 

Ou  two  rid  Cartridge      39.95        36.00 

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Satellites  and  Meteorites  Cartridge     39.00       36.95 

Survival:  depends  on  quick  reactions  against  meteorites  and  satellites. 

Alien  Blitz  Cartridge      29.95        26.00 

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Cloudburst  Cartridge       29.95         26.00 

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Sub  Chase  Cassette       24.95        20.00 

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Kozmic  Kamikazee  Cassette      24.95       20.00 

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Renaissance  for  C-64"  Cassette      17.96       15.96 

Use  your  intellect  against  the  computer  s  logic:  1000  years  ago 

Motormania  for  C-64"  Cassette       17.96        15.00 

Drive  your  car  through  or  around  different  obstacles. 


EPYX  Software 

Suggested        Sate 
_  ,         „  ,  Retail  Price 

Temple  of  Apshai  c-64 "  39.95       36. 00 

A  fantasy  world  —  magic,  monsters,  doomed  cities  and  damsels  in  distress. 

Upper  Reaches  of  Apshai  c-64"  19,95       16.00 

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The  strategy  game  with  bounce  Challenge  the  computer  or  friends 

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A  fantastic  game 


Midwest  Micro  Software  for  C-64™ 

64  Terminal  29.95       25.00 

(Terminal  Emulator)  Same  Impressive  features  as  TERMINAL-40;  smooth-scroll- 
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modem. 

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FRED  D'IGNAZIO, 
ASSOCIATE  EDITOR 


COMPUTING 


A  Robot 
Inside  Your  Computer 


I've  just  returned  from  London,  England,  where  I 
taught  a  three-week  course  on  robots. 

Our  classroom  looked  like  a  scene  from  Dr. 
Wita.  Every  student  in  the  room  had  a  computer 
and  a  robot.  The  robots  were  not  humanlike  an- 
droids like  C3PO  and  R2-D2.  They  were  miniature 
robot  arms  mounted  on  metal  boxes  that  looked 
like  batteries  or  electric  pencil  sharpeners. 

The  arms  came  in  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow 
-red,  orange,  blue,  and  green.  They  ended  in 
pincerlike  claws,  or  grippers.  Each  arm  was  wired 
to  a  student's  computer.  The  student  programmed 
the  computer  to  control  the  arm.  When  the  arms 
moved,  they  buzzed.  The  classroom  sounded  like 
a  beehive  with  a  thousand  buzzing  bees. 

Arms  moved  in  all  directions.  Some  picked 
up  erasers,  others  grabbed  small  metal  blocks  and 
cylinders.  Two  arms  worked  together,  and  even 
managed  to  shake  hands  -  or  claws!  Another  arm 
began  moving  too  fast.  It  spun  around  in  a  circle, 
got  dizzy,  and  fell  off  the  table. 

Turtles,  Boxes,  And  Dinosaurs 

The  miniature,  tabletop  arms  weren't  the  only 
robots  in  the  room.  A  giant  arm  was  over  in  the 
corner  of  the  room  near  the  window.  When  it 
wove  and  swooped,  it  looked  like  the  neck  and 
head  of  a  prehistoric  brontosaurus.  A  Tasmanian 
turtle  robot  scooted  around  on  the  floor,  drawing 
pictures  and  saying  "Hello!"  A  metal-gray,  two- 
foot-high  robot  (that  looked  like  R2-D2's  kid 
brother)  wandered  around  the  room  laughing, 
saying  "HA!  HA!  HA!"  and  spinning  its  head  in  a 
circle.  And  a  robot  that  looked  like  a  little  red  box 
zipped  back  and  forth  across  the  kitchen  floor 
carefully  staying  on  its  robot  "sidewalk."  The 

74    COMPUTEI's  Gazette    September  1983 


sidewalk  was  a  piece  of  black  tape  that  wound 
around  the  floor  like  a  piece  of  licorice  candy. 

Computers  In  Their  Tummies 

This  classroom  was  a  real  place.  It  was  in  a  small, 
red-brick  building  on  the  edge  of  London,  in 
southeast  England.  I  was  one  of  the  teachers  at  a 
course  on  "Robotics  Literacy."  Students  from  all 
over  the  world  were  getting  a  chance  to  play  with 
real  robots  and  learn  how  to  program  them  using 
computers. 

One  robot's  computer  was  a  small,  green 
circuit  board  mounted  inside  the  robot's  tummy. 
The  other  robots'  computers  sat  on  top  of  tables. 
The  tabletop  computers  included  an  Apple  He 
and  two  British  computers  -  a  BBC  and  a  Jupiter 
computer. 

The  computers'  electrical  signals  controlled 
the  robots.  The  signals  flashed  along  wire 
"leashes"  plugged  into  the  robots'  heads  and 
bottoms.  The  signals  were  generated  by  programs 
stored  in  the  computers'  memories.  The  students 
wrote  the  programs  in  Robot  Language,  ARM- 
BASIC,  BASIC,  and  Logo.  The  programs  made 
the  robots  talk,  walk,  roll  around,  draw  cartoons, 
play  games,  and  make  buildings  and  bridges  out 
of  blocks. 

Robots  For  Kids 

Our  classroom  was  real,  but  it  really  did  seem  to  be 
more  like  science  fiction  than  real  life.  I  know  of  no 
other  classroom  in  the  world  where  students  got  to 
play  with  so  many  computers  and  so  many  robots. 

Few  classrooms  have  their  own  robots.  The 
same  is  true  for  kids  at  home.  Not  every  kid  has  his 
or  her  own  robot.  In  fact,  very  few  do.  Robots,  even 
in  kit  form,  cost  hundreds,  or  thousands,  of  dollars. 


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Lots  of  kids  are  building  robots  from  kits,  but  this 
takes  a  lot  of  patience  and  a  lot  of  careful,  pains- 
taking work.  (If  you  would  like  to  learn  more  about 
building  a  robot  of  your  own,  take  a  look  at  my 
book  Working  Robots,  Dutton/EIsevier-Nelson, 

1981.) 

Even  the  new  "home  robots"  are  pretty  expen- 
sive and  may  cost  several  hundred  dollars.  But 
soon,  maybe  only  in  a  couple  of  years,  kids  are 
going  to  have  a  lot  more  robots. 

While  I  was  in  England,  I  went  to  a  Robot 
Convention.  There  were  a  thousand  robots  at  the 
convention,  in  all  shapes  and  sizes.  Most  of  the 
robots  were  big  and  expensive  and  designed  for 
work  in  factories.  But  a  surprising  number  were 
small,  friendly,  and  cheap.  They  were  the  first 
generation  at  kids'  robots.  Like  the  more  expensive 
robots  in  our  classroom,  they  came  in  four  styles  - 
arms,  boxlike  buggies,  turtles,  and  baby  R2-D2s. 
Judging  from  what  I  saw  at  the  convention,  I'd 
predict  that  these  kid  robots  will  soon  cost  the 
same  as  a  personal  computer  (less  than  $100)  and 
come  in  all  shapes,  sizes,  and  colors. 

The  new  low-cost  kids'  robots  will  be  easy  to 
program  (in  BASIC,  Logo,  PILOT,  or  Pascal).  You 
would  train  your  robot  by  programming  it.  You 
could  train  your  robot  like  you  would  train  the 
family  dog  or  cat. 

The  robots  will  be  able  to  talk  and  maybe 
even  listen.  They  might  not  be  able  to  understand 
spoken  commands,  but  you  might  be  able  to  give 
them  orders  by  clapping  your  hands  a  certain 
number  of  times  (for  example,  one  clap  to  make 
them  go  forward,  and  two  claps  to  make  them  go 
backward). 

Or  you  might  control  them  by  whistling 
or  making  funnv  noises.  When  you  shouted 
"Boom!,"  the  robot  would  wave  its  arm;  or  when 
you  sang  "La!  La!  La!,"  it  would  roll  around  in  a 
circle. 

Kids'  robots  will  also  have  sensors  -  electrical 
devices  that  imitate  human  senses  like  seeing, 
hearing,  and  touching.  Your  robot  will  probably 
have  several  "eyes,"  in  the  form  of  sensors  that 
detect  motion  and  measure  distance. 

Robots  that  can  see  can  become  quite  inde- 
pendent little  creatures.  You  will  be  able  to  turn  a 
seeing  robot  loose  in  a  room,  and  it  will  find  its 
way  around  chairs,  tables,  and  people's  knees. 
However,  if  an  object  is  too  low  or  too  high,  the 
robot  might  miss  it.  Then,  watch  out!  Your  robot 
may  trample  your  dog's  tail,  run  over  your  toes, 
or  get  lost  underneath  the  dining  room  table. 

Robots  will  also  have  sensors  that  detect  light, 
sound,  and  heat.  Some,  like  the  robot  turtles  and 
buggies,  will  even  have  a  sense  of  touch.  Tiny 
sensors  called  microswitches  can  be  mounted 
around  the  base  of  the  robot.  When  the  robot 
bumps  into  something,  the  switches  are  pressed 

76    COMPUTE!'!  Gazelle    Suplomber  1983 


down  and  close  an  electrical  circuit.  This  sends  a 
message  to  the  robot's  computer.  Using  a  control 
program  (that  you  have  to  write),  the  robot  will 
"know"  it  has  bumped  into  something.  Depending 
on  the  program,  the  robot  may  back  up  and  try  to 
go  in  a  different  direction,  or  it  may  try  to  bully  its 
way  forward,  like  a  tank  or  bulldozer. 

Many  robots  today  have  to  be  plugged  into 
an  electrical  outlet  on  the  wall  or  into  a  tabletop 
computer.  In  the  future,  all  robots  will  get  their 
orders  invisibly,  through  the  air,  via  microwaves 
or  radio  signals.  And  they  will  have  their  power 
source  mounted  inside  their  body,  as  a  recharge- 
able battery.  This  will  make  the  robots  much  more 
independent.  You  will  turn  the  robot  loose  and 
forget  about  it.  You  might  not  even  remember 
that  a  robot  is  in  the  room,  until  it  marches  up 
behind  you,  crashes  into  the  back  of  your  leg  and 
says,  "BOO!" 

Microbots 

These  neat  little  robots  will  be  here  in  just  a  year 
or  two.  But  you  don't  have  to  wail  for  them.  If 
you  have  a  computer  handy,  you  can  create  a 
robot  now  -  as  a  program  inside  the  computer. 

You  may  be  thinking;  how  can  a  robot  live 
inside  my  computer?  But  think  of  the  video  games 
you  play,  on  your  computer  and  at  the  local  games 
arcade.  The  games  are  really  computer  programs. 
The  programs  use  sound  effects  and  colorful 
graphics  to  create  the  illusion  that  tiny  creatures 
live  inside  the  machine.  You  can  see  these  crea- 
tures by  looking  through  the  picture-screen  "win- 
dow" on  your  TV  or  on  the  big  screen  in  an  arcade 
game.  The  creatures  can  be  any  shape  the  game 
designer  imagines  -aliens  from  outer  space, 
snorkle-nosed  potato  heads,  vampires,  football 
players,  or  robots. 

In  the  coming  months,  we'll  create  programs 
you  can  run  on  your  VIC  or  Commodore  64.  We'll 
start  with  simple  programs  that  just  create  the 
robot's  shape.  You  will  be  able  to  "build"  fat 
robots,  skinny  robots,  funny  robots,  and  scary 
robots. 

Next  I'll  show  you  how  to  bring  the  robots  to 
life.  You  will  animate  them  the  way  moviemakers 
animate  cartoon  characters. 

After  that  you  will  create  robot  worlds,  places 
where  the  robots  live.  The  first  world  might  be  a 
small  model  of  your  bedroom  or  living  room.  Or 
it  could  be  a  simple  place  with  boxes  and  circles, 
where  your  robot  first  learns  how  to  walk.  Later 
on,  you  will  build  more  complicated  worlds. 

Turning  your  robot  loose  in  a  complicated 
world  with  lots  of  objects  and  lots  of  things  going 
on  is  like  opening  the  front  door  and  letting  a  real 
robot  go  outside  to  play.  If  you  live  in  a  big  city  or 
on  a  busy  street,  this  could  be  a  pretty  risky  thing 
to  do.  Your  robot  needs  to  learn  a  lot  before  it's 


ready  to  cope  with  the  outside  world. 

At  first  you'll  control  your  robots  as  if  they 
were  puppets.  When  you  push  the  up-arrow, 
they'll  move  up;  when  you  push  the  down-arrow, 
they'll  move  down. 

Later  on,  you'll  turn  your  robots  loose  in 
their  picture-screen  room  and  let  them  wander 
about.  At  first,  you  can  make  it  easy  on  them  by 
letting  them  explore  an  empty  room.  (That  way, 
they  can't  get  into  too  much  trouble.) 

Last,  you'll  create  obstacles  in  the  room  - 
tables,  chairs,  pets,  maybe  even  holes,  pits,  door- 
ways, and  mazes.  This  will  be  a  great  way  to  test 
your  robots  and  see  how  smart  you've  made  them. 
It  will  also  be  a  great  way  to  think  up  ways  to  make 
the  robots  even  smarter. 

Best  of  all,  by  working  with  mtcrobots  (robot 
programs  inside  your  computer),  you  will  be  get- 
ting prepared  for  programming  real  robots.  Before 
you  know  it,  these  real  robots  will  be  here.  They'll 
march  through  the  front  door  into  your  home  and 
become  your  pet,  your  servant,  or  your  friend. 
(Or  maybe  all  three!)  But  the  key  to  all  their  skills 
will  be  the  programs  that  run  inside  their  computer 
brains.  The  robots  will  come  with  a  few  programs 
already  written.  But  if  they  are  to  learn  any  new 
tricks,  you'll  have  to  teach  them.  <2f 


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$16.95  (Tape)  $21. 95  (Disk) 

Create  and  then  transform  sprites  automatically.  We 
have  the  other  sprite  making  programs,  but  this  is  the 
one  we  use  to  make  sprites.  The  auiomatic  transfor- 
mations are  great! 

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SOFTWARE 

P.O.  Box  9403,  San  Rafael,  C A  9491 2  (41 5)  499-0850 


Programmers:  Write  to  our  New  Program  Manager  concerning  any  exceptional  VIC  20TM  or  Commodore  64TM  game  or  other  program  you  have  developed. 


September  1983     COMPUTE!"!  Gazette    77 


VICreations 


DAN  CARMICHAEL,  ASSISTANT  EDITOR 


Understanding 
Random  Numbers 


In  this  month's  column  we'll  learn  about 
BASIC'S  random  number  generator,  the  RND 
command,  and  then  use  it  in  a  simple  dice-roll 
program  that  you  can  expand.  The  information 
in  this  column  applies  to  both  the  VIC-20  and 
the  Commodore  64. 


Webster's  Third  New  International  Dictionary  defines 
random  as:  "marked  by  absence  of  bias:  having 
the  same  probability  of  occurring  as  every  other 
member  of  a  set." 

The  RND  (random)  command  is  a  function  of 
the  BASIC  language  in  the  VIC  and  64  (as  well  as 
in  other  computers)  that  does  just  that.  In  other 
words,  under  your  control  it  will  generate  any 
number  in  a  range  between  zero  and  almost  any 
number  you  choose. 

This  can  be  a  very  useful  tool  in  a  variety  of 
programming  applications.  For  instance,  you 
might  want  to  generate  two  iNTegers  (whole  num- 
bers) each  between  1  and  6,  to  simulate  the  random 
throw  of  two  dice.  Or  you  might  want  to  produce 
a  random  number  between  1  and  52  to  simulate 
the  drawing  of  one  card  from  a  deck  of  cards.  The 
possibilities  are  limitless. 

How  The  RND  Command  Works 

The  RND  command,  in  its  primary  form,  creates 
a  number  from  0.0  to  1.0.  Enter  the  following  short 
program  to  see  how  this  works. 

10    X=RND(0) 
20    PRINTX 
30    GOTO10 

In  this  example,  the  computer  produces  many 
numbers,  at  random,  between  0  and  1 .  Hold  down 
the  CTRL  key  to  slow  the  speed  of  the  screen 

78    COMPUTE!'!  Gazette    September  1983 


PRINTing  while  running  the  program.  As  you 
can  see,  there  is  no  definite  pattern  to  the  numbers 
being  produced.  We'll  talk  more  about  this  later. 

Producing  Random  Numbers 
Within  Ranges 

The  ability  to  make  the  computer  produce  a  spe- 
cific range  of  numbers  (between  1  and  6,  or  1  and 
52,  for  example)  is  controlled  bv  the  programmer, 
who  adds  a  few  things  to  the  RND  statement. 
Enter  the  following  short  program,  run  it,  and 
we'll  discuss  what  the  RND  statement  is  doing. 

10  X=INT(RND(1}*6)+1 
20  PRINTX; 
30  GOTO 10 

In  this  example,  we  told  the  computer  to 
produce  integer  (whole)  random  numbers  from  J 
to  6.  To  accomplish  this,  we've  added  more  func- 
tions to  the  RND  statement.  Let's  break  down 
and  analyze  the  additions. 

X  is  simply  the  variable  that  will  receive  the 
random  number.  Every  time  the  computer  pro- 
duces a  random  number,  its  value  will  be  trans- 
ferred to  X, 

INT  is  a  BASIC  command  that  turns  numbers 
with  fractions  into  whole  numbers.  In  positive 
numbers  it  does  this  by  dropping  the  fraction 
without  rounding  off.  For  example,  the  INTeger 
value  of  both  1 .00001  and  1 .99999  would  be  1.  To 
test  this,  type  in  PRINT  INT(1. 00001)  and  then 
press  RETURN.  Now  type  in  PRINT  INT(1 .99999) 
and  press  RETURN.  In  each  case,  the  value  is  1. 

The  format  for  the  INTeger  command  is: 
INT(X),  where  X  is  the  number  you  want  to  con- 
vert into  a  whole  number. 

(RNDU)*A)  =  B  is  the  main  body  of  our  ran- 
dom number  generator,  RND  is,  of  course,  the 


BASIC  command  that  we  have  been  discussing.  It 
produces  the  random  number  we  want  to  suit  our 
programming  needs. 

A  represents  the  range  of  numbers  you  want 
the  computer  to  produce.  In  our  example,  we 
used  6.  This  produced  a  range  of  six  numbers,  or 
1  through  6.  If  we  had  used  52,  it  would  have 
produced  a  range  of  52  numbers,  1  through  52. 

B  defines  the  lowest  number  in  the  range  of 
numbers  we  want  to  produce.  We  told  the  com- 
puter that  the  lowest  number  we  wanted  was  1.  If 
we  had  replaced  B  with  a  10,  the  computer  would 
have  produced  a  range  of  six  numbers,  the  lowest 
being  10.  The  possible  results  would  have  been 
10,  11,  12,  13,  14,  and  15. 

Here  are  a  few  working  examples  that  may 
help  you  understand  this  concept: 

X  =  INT(RND(1)*100)  +  1  would  produce  a  possible 
100  random  numbers  starting  at  1,  or  1  through 
100. 

X  =  INT(RND(1)*100)  =  100  would  produce  a  pos- 
sible 100  random  numbers  starting  at  100,  or  100 
through  199. 

X  =  INT(RND(I)*2)  +  5  would  produce  a  possible 
two  random  numbers  starting  at  5.  The  only  num- 
bers randomly  produced  here  would  be  a 
5  or  6. 

The  Random  Seed 

There  is  one  other  important  thing  that  vou  should 
know  about  random  numbers,  and  that  is  that 
they  are  not  entirely  random.  This  has  to  do  with 
how  the  computer  gets  its  random  numbers  from 
the  "random  seed." 

II  is  possible,  under  certain  circumstances,  to 
gel  the  same  series  of  random  numbers  in  the 
same  order  each  time  you  play  the  same  game. 
For  example,  if  you  turn  on  the  computer,  load 
the  same  game,  and  play  it  in  the  same  order  each 
time,  you  could  get  the  same  series  of  numbers 
each  time. 

But  don't  worry,  there  is  a  way  around  this. 
If  you  will  add  the  following  BASIC  statement  to 
the  beginning  of  your  computer  program,  it  will 
make  it  truly  different,  or  random,  each  time  it 
is  run. 

0   X=RND(-TI) 


The  Rolling  Dice 

Now  for  the  fun  and  games.  "Rolling  Dice"  is  a 
short  BASIC  program  that  simulates  the  rolling  of 
two  dice.  It  produces  a  nice  graphic  display  and 
then  displays  the  dice  you  rolled.  The  program  is 
a  complete  "module."  In  other  words,  you  can 


add  it  to  one  of  your  programs,  or  you  can  write 
your  own  game  program  around  it.  The  important 
variables  are  Dl  and  D2.  These  variables  contain 
the  random  numbers  for  the  dice  {DIE  1  and  DIE 
2)  each  time  the  dice  are  "rolled," 

For  the  expanded  (SK  or  more)  VIC,  change 
line  1  to  read: 

1    POKE36a79,27:SC=4187:CO=37979:X=RND(-T 
I) :GOTO10 

This  program  uses  standard  PRINT  and  POKE 
statements.  Study  it  carefully,  especially  lines 
112,  114,  116,  160,  and  170,  These  lines  are  used 
to  generate  random  numbers.  Lines  112  through 
116  each  generate  a  random  number  between  0 
and  7,  which  are  used  to  POKE  the  colors  into  the 
"rolling"  dice.  Lines  160  and  170  simulate  the  roll 
of  the  dice.  Each  produces  a  random  number  be- 
tween 1  and  6.  To  use  the  program  with  another 
program,  or  to  build  another  program  around  it, 
remove  line  310,  and  add  what  you  wish.  Happy 
programming. 

Your  participation  in  this  monthly  column  is 
not  only  appreciated,  but  requested.  If  you  have 
any  ideas  or  questions  please  write  to:  VlCrea- 
tions,  P.O.  Box  5406,  Greensboro,  NC  27403. 

See  program  listing  on  page  124.  @ 


MW-302:  VIC-20/64 


Parallel  Printer  Interface. 


6-p.n  DIN 


Works  with  all  Centronics  type  parallel  matrix  &  letter 
printers  and  plotters— Epson.  C.ltoh,  Okidata,  Nee,  Gemini 
10.  TP-I  Smith  Corona,  and  most  others.  Hardware  driven; 
works  off  the  serial  port.  Quality  construction:  Steel  DIN 
connectors  &  shielded  cables.  Has  these  switch  selectable 
options:  Device  4.5,6  or  7:  ASCII  or  PET  ASCII;  7-bit  or 
8-bit  output;  upper  &  lower  case  or  upper  only.  Recom- 
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Plus  for  the  64,  and  by  City  Software  for  PaperClip. 
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Septsmbor  1983    COMPUTE!';  Gazelle    79 


CHECKBOOK 
REPORTER 


Glen  E.  Sparks 


"Checkbook  Reporter,"  for  the  unexpanded 
VIC-20  and  Commodore  64,  compiles  neat 
printouts  of  your  checking  account  expenses 
with  the  VIC-1525  printer.  It  also  figures  if 
you  are  over  or  under  budget,  or  averages  your 
expenditures. 


A  printer  is  good  for  much  more  than  making 
program  listings  (which  by  itself  is  enough  to 
justify  its  cost  to  dedicated  programmers).  When 
1  first  acquired  a  VIC-1525  printer  for  my  VIC-20, 
this  was  one  of  the  first  programs  i  wrote  to  take 
advantage  of  the  new  accessory. 

"Checkbook  Reporter"  neatly  formats  your 
checking  expenditures  to  look  something  like  the 
monthly  statements  issued  by  many  banks  (see 
the  figure  for  a  sample  printout).  It  can  also  warn 
when  you  exceed  your  monthly  budget,  and  can 
average  your  expenditures  for  you.  The  program  is 
written  in  straight  for  ward  BASIC  and  will  work 
on  either  the  VlC-20  or  Commodore  64. 

Dealing  With  Preliminaries 

Checkbook  Reporter  is  easy  to  use.  But  be  sure  to 
familiarize  yourself  with  these  instructions: 

First,  make  certain  the  printer  is  switched  on 


when  you  power  up  your  system.  All  output  is 
automatically  sent  to  the  printer,  and  a  ? DEVICE 
NOT  PRESENT  ERROR  may  result  if  you  overlook 
this  routine  step. 

LOAD  and  RUN  Checkbook  Reporter. 

The  program's  first  prompt  will  be  "CATE- 
GORY?". Enter  an  appropriate  category  for  your 
expenditures  (for  example,  "Utility  Bills").  The 
printer  will  reproduce  this  in  double-width  type 
to  make  your  report  easily  identified. 

The  next  prompt  is  "BUDGET?".  Omitting 
the  dollar  sign,  type  in  any  dollar  amount  you've 
determined  is  your  budget  limit  for  the  following 
expenditures.  If  you  have  no  need  for  a  budget  - 
most  of  us  aren't  so  lucky  -  just  enter  a  zero,  and 
the  program  will  bypass  its  budget  section. 

Next,  the  program  asks,  "AVERAGE?".  Re- 
spond "YES"  or  "NO,"  depending  on  whether 
you  want  your  expenditures  averaged  and 
printed.  (This  feature  is  handy  for  figuring  future 
budgets.) 

For  "NUMBER  OF  ENTRIES?",  count  the 
number  of  checks  you  want  to  list  and  enter  that 
number.  As  written,  the  program  limits  you  to  13 
entries.  This  is  easily  increased,  however.  Change 
the  DIM  statements  in  lines  54-58  and  the  addition 
in  lines  1 13  and  1 16.  Be  careful  on  the  VIC,  because 
you  may  run  out  of  memory  if  you  enter  iarge 


Sample  Printout  Of  "Checkbook  Reporter" 

DATE     CK  NUN    AMOUNT    PAID  TO         FOR  WHAT 


23AUG82 
02SEPB2 

31N0V82 
15DEC82 
06JAN83 
06JAN83 
23JRN83 
15FEB83 


1234 

1256 

1378 

1403 

1445 

1446 

1456 

1478 

GRRHD  TOTAL= 

BUDGET  1 

OVER  BUDGET 

AVERAGE  C0ST= 


186.78 
65.76 
34.88 
384.54 
65.89 
3.77 
367.87 
758.98 
1870.47 

370.470001 
233.30875 


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80    COMPUTEfs  Gazette    September  1983 


numbers  of  checks.  As  listed,  Checkbook  Reporter 
consumes  1576  bytes. 

Using  Checkbook  Reporter 

At  this  point,  the  program  has  almost  all  the  data  it 
needs  to  generate  the  report.  The  final  step  is  to 
enter  the  individual  check  data. 

This  section  of  the  program  has  a  series  of  five 
repeating  questions.  The  number  of  times  they 
repeat  depends  on  your  answer  to  "NUMBER  OF 
ENTRIES?". 

The  first  question  is  "DATE?".  Respond  with  a 
two-digit  number  for  the  day  of  the  month,  a  three- 
letter  abbreviation  of  the  month,  and  the  last  two 
numerals  of  the  year.  "January  1,  1983"  would  be 
"01JAN83",  and  "December  31,  1983"  would  be 
"31DEC83."  This  saves  room  on  the  printout. 

The  second  question  is  "CK  NUM?".  Enter  the 
check  number  as  all  numerals.  If  this  report  is  for 
cash  payments,  then  bypass  this  prompt  by  pressing 
RETURN. 

The  third  question  is  "AMOUNT?".  Enter  this 
without  the  dollar  sign,  separating  dollars  and  cents 
with  a  decimal  point.  (Challenge  to  programmers: 
refine  this  program  to  line  up  the  decimal  points  on 
the  printout.) 

The  fourth  question  is  "PAID  TO?".  Enter  a 


short  description  (15  characters  or  less)  of  the  party 
to  whom  the  check  was  paid. 

The  fifth  and  last  question  is  "FOR  WHAT?". 
Enter  a  short  description  of  the  expenditure  (up  to 
25  characters  is  OK).  If  more  than  one  item  must  be 
listed  for  one  check,  separate  the  items  with  a  slash 
(unshifted  question  mark)  as  you  type. 

All  the  data  is  now  entered.  However,  the 
program  gives  vou  one  last  chance  to  make  a  cor- 
rection. When  it  asks  "OK?",  just  press  RETURN 
if  you  agree.  If  everything  is  not  OK,  type  "NO." 
The  program  will  repeat  the  five-question  loop  so 
you  can  fix  the  mistake.  You  will  have  to  answer 
all  five  questions  again,  not  just  the  one  you 
mistyped. 

After  completing  the  five-question  loop  for 
each  check,  the  program  dumps  the  report  to  the 
printer.  Tabs  will  be  reset  to  produce  the  correct 
columns  and  spacing.  If  you  entered  a  budget 
limit,  Checkbook  Reporter  totals  your  expendi- 
tures and  reports  if  you  were  over,  under,  or  right 
on  budget.  If  you  answered  "YES"  to  "AVER- 
AGE?", Checkbook  Reporter  adds  up  all  your 
expenditures  and  divides  by  the  number  of  entries 
to  calculate  a  mean  average. 

See  program  listing  on  page  VI 8.  Of 


Accounts  Payable 

& 

Receivable 

Program 


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September  1983     COMPUTEI's  Gazette     81 


States  &  Capitals 
Tutor  For  VIC  And  64 


Enoch  L.  Moser 


"States  &  Capitals  Tutor,"  in  addition  to  being 
a  useful  tool  for  students  who  are  learning  the 
American  states  and  capitals,  also  demon- 
strates the  use  of  arrays  in  programs  and  the 
storage  and  retrieval  of  data  on  cassette.  Both 
of  these  concepts  are  important  to  program- 
mers, but  nonprogrammers  may  use  States 
&  Capitals  Tutor  without  delving  into  the 
working  details. 


"States  &  Capitals  Tutor"  asks  a  student  the  name 
of  either  a  state  or  a  capital,  and  keeps  track  of 
correct  and  incorrect  responses.  The  program 
randomly  decides  whether  to  quiz  the  student  on 
either  slates  or  capitals  and  also  chooses  the  ques- 
tions randomly. 

Questions  answered  correctly  are  not  re- 
peated. However,  the  program  will  repeat  ques- 
tions that  are  missed.  And  like  any  good  teacher, 
States  &  Capitals  Tutor  will  help  students  who 
ask  for  it.  Students  who  are  stumped  can  simply 
type  "HELP."  The  program  gives  the  correct  an- 
swer and  comes  back  to  the  troublesome  question 
later.  It  also  keeps  track  of  how  many  times  the 
student  asks  for  help. 

When  all  5D  states  have  been  correctly 
matched  with  their  capitals,  and  if  the  student  has 
not  asked  for  help  or  missed  any  questions,  he  or 
she  is  rewarded  with  a  perfect  score  message. 

A  Two-Part  Program 

The  program  reads  the  slates  and  capitals  from  a 
tape  file  which  is  generated  by  Program  2,  "File 
Maker." 

To  use  these  programs,  follow  this  procedure: 

1.  Type  in  Program  1  for  the  VIC  (Program  3 
for  the  64)  and  SAVH  it  on  tape.  Leave  the 
tape  at  its  position  after  the  SAVE. 

2.  Type  in  Program  2  (File  Maker).  RUN  the 
program.  The  states  and  capitals  are  now  on 
tape  under  the  filename  "STATES."  Again, 
leave  the  tape  in  its  position. 

82    COMPUTEfs  Gazette    September  1983 


Boiil>  tip  on  ^eo^niplty  skills  with  "States  &  Capitals  Tutor. " 
(VlC-20  version;  Commodore  64  similar.) 

3.  SAVE  Program  2. 

4.  Rewind  the  tape. 

5.  LOAD  Program  1;  leave  the  PLAY  button 
pressed  and  the  tape  in  position  when  loading 
is  complete. 

6.  RUN  Program  1. 

If  you  wish  to  avoid  typing  these  programs 
(VIC  version  only),  I  will  be  glad  to  copy  them  on 
tape  for  you.  Send  a  cassette,  a  stamped,  self- 
addressed  mailer,  and  $3  to: 

Enoch  Moser 
335  Oahu  Drive 
Merritl  Island,  FL  32952 

How  The  Programs  Work 

As  mentioned,  the  File  Maker  program  stores  the 
states  and  capitals  on  tape  under  the  filename 
"STATES."  The  main  program.  States  &  Capitals 
Tutor,  reads  this  file  and  stores  the  data  in  ST$ 
(I,J),  a  two-dimensional  army  (more  on  this  in  a  mo- 
ment). When  a  right  answer  is  given,  the  range  of 
the  random  number  generator  (line  100)  is  de- 
creased by  one  (line  205),  and  that  state/capital  is 
moved  to  the  top  part  of  the  list  (lines  180-200), 
out  of  the  range  of  selection.  Otherwise,  the  pro- 
gram is  fairly  straightforward. 


The  definitions  of  the  variables  are: 
STS  (49,1)  Status  and  capitals  array. 
K 

Rl% 
R2% 
ANS 
RT% 
WR% 
HE% 
1$ 


Number  of  elements  moved  to  top  of  list. 

State  pointer. 

State  or  capital  selector. 

Answer. 

Number  right 

Number  wrong. 

Number  of  helps. 

Temporary  string  for  exchanging  data. 


Arrays 

An  array  is  simply  an  ordered  set  of  data.  It  may 
have  one  or  more  dimensions.  A  one-dimensional 
array  is  merely  a  list  whose  data  elements  are 
numbered  starling  with  0.  For  example,  a  grocery 
list  of  20  items,  numbered  0  to  19,  would  be  a 
one-dimensional  array  with  20  data  elements. 

To  define  an  array,  you  must  use  a  special 
type  of  variable  called  a  subscripted  variable,  This 
takes  the  form  A N{ I),  where  AN  is  the  Array  Name 
and  I  is  the  number  (subscript)  of  the  desired  ele- 
ment. In  our  grocery  list  example,  if  I  =  19,  then 
AN  (I)  would  be  the  last  item  on  the  list. 

The  array  name  may  be  any  legal  variable 
name,  with  S  (string  variable)  or  %  (integer  vari- 
able) appended  if  appropriate.  (This  would  indi- 
cate thai  the  data  contained  in  the  array  arc  strings 
or  integers.) 

Let's  say  you  want  a  one-dimensional  array 
with  four  elements.  The  four  elements  are  integers 
(whole  numbers):  21,  23,  25,  and  27.  The  array 
would  be  represented  by  AN%(I).  That  is  to  say, 
AN%(0)  =  21,  AN%(1)  =  23,  AN%(2)  =  25,  and 
AN%(3)  =  27. 

A  two-dimensional  array  is  also  an  ordered  list, 
but  one  whose  elements  are  each  an  ordered  list 
themselves.  It's  easier  to  understand  if  you  picture 
it  as  a  chart.  For  example,  a  two-dimensional  array 
might  look  like  this: 


1  =  0 

1  =  1 

1=2 

1  =  3 

J  =  0 

21 

23 

25 

27 

J=l 

43 

45 

47 

49 

J  =  2 

51 

53 

58 

59 

A  proper  name  for  this  array  could  be  AN% 
and  its  elements  identified  as  AN%(I,J).  If  1  =  0 
and  J  =  0,  then  AN%(I,J)  =  21 .  If  I  =  3  and  J  =  2, 
then  AN%(I,J)  =  59.  The  advantage  of  arrays  is 
that  they  let  you  store  lots  of  numbers  or  other 
data  without  using  lots  of  variables,  and  you  can 
access  any  data  element  with  a  simple  mathemat- 
ical calculation.  But  be  careful:  arrays  also  consume 
big  chunks  of  memory. 

Arrays  can  become  very  complicated.  It's  easy 
to  picture  one-  and  two-dimensional  arrays,  but 
how  about  arrays  of  three  or  even  four  dimen- 
sions? Elements  of  three-  and  four-dimensional 
arrays  are  identified  in  the  form  AN%(IJ,K)  and 
AN%(I,J,K,L),  respectively. 


Creating  Arrays 

Typically,  arrays  are  created  with  nested  FOR/ 
NEXT  loops,  each  containing  a  READ  from  a 
DATA  statement  or  an  INPUT  from  a  storage 
device.  Each  FOR/NEXT  level  creates  one  ordered 
list.  For  example,  the  following  program  could  be 
used  to  define  the  contents  of  the  two-dimensional 
array  shown  above: 

10  DIM  AN%<3,2) 
20  FOR  1=0  TO  3 

30  FOR  J  =  0  TO  2 

40  READ  AN%(I,J) 

50  NEXT  J 

60  NEXT  I 

70  DATA  21,43,51,23,45,53,25,47,58,27,49,59 

The  inner  (or  nested)  FOR/NEXT  loop  (lines 
30-50)  creates  the  ordered  list  of  elements  in  the  J- 
dimension  within  each  element  of  the  [-dimension. 
Compare  the  above  chart  to  the  DATA  statement 
in  line  70  to  see  how  the  array  is  set  up. 

The  DIMension  statement  (line  10)  is  required 
to  tell  the  computer  how  much  memory  to  set 
aside  for  the  array.  Note  that  dimension  sizes  in  a 
DIMension  statement  are  one  less  than  the 
number  of  elements  in  the  dimension.  The  number 
of  dimensions  and  the  number  of  elements  in 
each  dimension  are  limited  only  by  the  amount  of 
memory  available. 

Remember  that  an  array  can  hold  other  types 
of  data  besides  numbers.  States  &  Capitals  Tutor 
uses  a  two-dimensional  string  array,  ST$(I,J),  to 
store  the  50  states  and  50  capitals.  See  lines  10-35 
in  Program  2. 

Storing  Data  On  Cassette 

Data  can  be  added  to  a  program  by  using  DATA 
statements,  keyboard  inputs,  or  from  data  files 
stored  on  tape  or  disk.  Tape  or  disk  files  work 
best  when  several  programs  must  have  access  to 
the  same  data,  or  when  a  program  needs  several 
different  data  files,  or  when  the  amount  of  data 
you  need  to  store  exceeds  memory  capacity.  Note 
that  when  arrays  arc  filled  from  DATA  statements, 
twice  as  much  memory  is  required  as  when  they 
are  filled  from  tape  or  disk. 

Storing  and  retrieving  data  with  cassettes  is 
quite  simple  if  you  adhere  to  a  few  rules.  Most  of 
these  rules  also  apply  to  disk  storage. 

First,  before  information  can  be  written  to  or 
read  from  a  file  on  tape,  a  communications  channel 
between  the  computer  and  recorder  must  be 
opened  with  the  OPEN  command.  This  tells  the 
computer  which  file  is  involved  and  in  which 
direction  the  information  will  flow  (input  from  the 
recorder  into  the  computer,  or  output  from  the 
computer  to  the  recorder).  If  a  write  is  indicated 
in  the  OPEN  command,  the  computer  will  write  a 
filename  on  the  tape.  If  a  read  is  indicated,  the 
computer  will  search  for  the  requested  filename 

September  1983    COMPUTE!'!  CozeUe    83 


and  then  read  the  file. 

Second,  the  file  must  be  closed,  after  use,  by 
the  CLOSE  command.  This  is  especially  important 
when  creating  a  new  file,  because  data  intended 
for  tape  storage  is  actually  written  to  an  area  in 
memory  first  and  transferred  to  tape  only  when 
this  area  is  full.  This  memory  area  is  called  the 
cassette  buffer.  Some  of  your  data  will  remain  in 
this  buffer  after  the  last  write.  The  CLOSE  com- 
mand transfers  the  remaining  contents  of  the 
buffer  to  tape. 

In  addition,  the  number  of  files  that  can  be 
open  at  any  one  time  is  limited.  Closing  files  after 
use  is  a  good  habit  to  develop. 

The  third  rule  to  watch  when  storing  infor- 
mation on  tape  or  disk  is  that  variable  types  must 
be  consistent.  That  is  to  say,  data  stored  as 
numeric,  integer,  or  string  variables  must  be  read 
back  into  variables  of  the  same  type.  The  variable 
names  themselves  are  not  stored,  so  they  can  be 
read  back  into  entirely  different  variables,  as  long 
as  you  don't  mismatch  types. 

Fourth,  data  is  read  back  in  the  same  order  in 
which  it  was  written.  Therefore,  the  program 
must  expect  the  data  in  exactly  the  same  order  in 
which  it  will  be  received. 

See  program  listings  an  page  119.     ® 


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TAYLORMADE  SOFTWARE     •     TAVLORMADE  SOFTWARE     •     TAVLORMADE  SOFTWARE     •     TAYLORMADE  SOFTWARE 


Educational  software  for  the  COMMODORE  64  and  VIC  20 


PINBALL  MATH 

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PM64D Diskette  US  $24.95 


TOUCH  TYPING  TUTOR 

12-PAGE  MANUAL 
19  LESSONS-Watch  your  TV  screen 
to  learn  proper  linger  placement. 
PRACTICE- Learn  your  word/min. 
rate  typing  pseudo  words. 
TEXT-English  words  for  timed  test 
of  any  duration. 


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TAYLORMADE  SOFTWARE       ^^ 
P.O.  Box  5574 
Lincoln,  NE  68505  '"'■ 

(402)  464-9051 
Commodate  64  and  VIC  20  ate  Irademarks  ol  Commodore  Electronics  Ltd. 


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TAYLORMADE   SOFTWARE      ■     TAVLORMADE  SOFTWARE 


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84     COMPUTEI's  Gazetto     September  1 983 


Commodore  Puts  Excitement  In  lour  Life 
Tor  Such  A  Small  Price. 


WC'M 


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Software 

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(With  factory  rebate.) 

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Avalon  Hill 


.112 


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$20 


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Software  (HES) 

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OH 


^SFUter  oGm 


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$27 
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MiniTerm-20 

An  Autodialing  Terminal  Program 

For  The  VIC-20 


Donald  L.  Stoner 


"MiniTerm-20,"  a  terminal  program  designed 
especially  for  hooking  up  to  services  such  as 
CompuServe,  can  make  telecommunicating 
easier  and  save  you  money.  It  lets  you  "log-on" 
or  "log-off"  at  the  touch  of  a  key.  For  more 
background  on  using  a  modem  and  some  of 
the  terminology  in  this  article,  see  "Telecom- 
puting Today"  in  this  issue. 


As  soon  as  I  acquired  an  autodial  modem  for  my 
VIC-20  (the  MicroConnection  from  Micro- 
Peripheral  Corporation),  I  decided  to  try  my  hand 
at  writing  a  good  terminal  program  for  it.  Luckily, 
Commodore  has  made  it  fairly  easy  to  write  such 
a  program  in  BASIC.  Buffers  and  machine  lan- 
guage Kemal  routines  permit  input/output 
through  the  user  port  without  losing  any  charac- 
ters, even  with  relatively  slow  BASIC. 

However,  Commodore  also  elected  to  use 
nonstandard  character  codes  instead  of  the  stan- 
dard ASCII  codes.  As  a  result,  additional  memory 
(beyond  buffer  requirements)  must  be  allocated 
to  convert  between  Commodore's  version  of 
ASCII  and  the  rest  of  the  world. 

True,  Commodore  provides  rudimentary 
terminal  software  in  its  VIC-20  Programmer's  Refer- 
ence Guide  and  the  documentation  which  accom- 
panies the  VICmodem.  But  both  are  intended  to 
show  how  the  computer  is  programmed  and  are 
not  written  for  any  particular  application. 

Specifically,  I  wanted  software  that  would 
get  me  on  and  off  the  CompuServe  Information 

86    COMPUTE !'s  Gazette    September  1983 


Service  as  quickly  as  possible  to  save  line  charges. 
"MiniTerm-20"  does  this  within  the  3583  bytes  of 
memory  available  in  the  unexpanded  VIC-20. 
Even  with  this  limitation,  I  was  able  to  squeeze  in 
a  few  "bells  and  whistles."  These  include  auto- 
matic log-on,  a  cursor,  and  transmitting  control 
characters.  Because  of  these  features,  the  program 
is  very  useful,  even  if  you  already  have  the  VIC- 
modem. The  autodial  feature  (for  the  MicroCon- 
nection) was  written  as  a  module  and  can  be  de- 
leted, if  desired,  without  any  reprogramming. 

Control  Characters 

One  of  the  most  frustrating  obstacles  to  be  overcome 
during  program  development  was  the  VIC-20's  lack 
of  control  characters.  The  VIC  has  a  control  key 
(CTRL),  but  it  does  not  send  control  characters. 
Control  characters  are  essential  when  com- 
municating with  information  services  such  as 
CompuServe.  For  example,  the  first  step  when 
logging  onto  the  network  is  to  send  a  CTRL-C  to 
trigger  its  ID  and  password  requests.  Thus,  it  was 
necessary  to  create  these  characters  by  defining 
the  function  keys. 

The  Fl  key  now  sends  a  CTRL-C  F3  sends  a 
CTRL-S.  The  CfRL-S  will  stop  CompuServe  trans- 
missions so  they  can  be  read  before  they  scroll  off 
the  top  of  the  screen.  CTRL-Q  (the  F5  key)  tells 
CompuServe  to  resume  transmission.  The  fourth 
key,  F7,  sends  a  CTRL-P.  This  is  useful  on  various 
SICs  (Special  Interest  Croups  of  CompuServe)  to 
skip  messages. 


Skyles  Electric  Works  Presents 


The  VicTree™ 


. . .  Leaves  your  new  Vic  (or  CBM  64)  with  42  additional  commands. 
. ..Branches  out  to  most  BASIC 4.0 programs. 
. . .  Roots  into  most  printers. 

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debugging  and  to  access  your  disk.  And  the  new  VicTree  provides  routines  to  interface  the  Vic  to 
the  powerful  CeeNet  local  network.  8kb  of  ROM— 4kb  for  the  BASIC  commands,  4kb  for  disk 
commands  and  interfacing  to  CeeNet —  plus  4kb  of  RAM  for  miscellaneous  storage.  Perfect  not 
only  for  the  new  Vic  but  also  for  the  Commodore  64.  Unbelievably  simple  to  use  and  to  install,  the 
VicTree  gives  you  all  the  additional  BASIC  4.0  commands  to  allow  most  BASIC  4.0  programs  to 
work  on  your  new  Vic  or  CBM  64. 

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The  shifted  function  keys  are  used  to  automati- 
cally log-on  to  CompuServe.  F2  {shift  Fl)  sends  my 
user  ID  (71625,1620),  while  F4  sends  my  secret 
password.  The  F8  key  was  programmed  to  enter 
my  favorite  S1G,  while  F8  allows  me  to  quickly  log- 
off the  system.  You  must  customize  the  program 
by  substituting  your  own  user  ID,  password,  and 
other  commands  in  lines  120-150. 

How  MiniTerm-20  Works 

Line  5  opens  the  user  port  to  the  modem.  The 
CHR$(3S)  selects  300  baud,  while  the  CHR$(224) 
instructs  the  computer  to  send  a  seven-bit  word, 
even  parity,  and  one  stop  bit.  The  POKE  to  37136 
insures  that  the  autodial  modem  is  off-line.  Delete 
this  POKE  if  you  do  not  have  a  MicroConnectkm 
modem. 

The  POKE  in  line  10  sets  the  screen  color  and 
can  be  changed  if  desired.  Lines  20-40  set  up  the 
first  screen  when  the  program  is  run. 

The  GOSUB  to  1000  in  line  100  routes  the 
program  to  the  setup  section.  Line  1000  allocates 
the  input'output  buffer  space.  Commodore-to- 
standard  ASCII  conversion  is  accomplished  in 
lines  1020-1040.  Line  1045  defines  the  function 
keys  and  determines  which  control  characters 
will  be  sent  when  these  keys  are  pressed.  f'or 
example,  the  FI  key  normally  returns  a  133.  This 
is  converted  by  line  1045  to  03,  which  is  a  CTRL-C. 
Finally,  line  1050  sets  up  the  input  conversion. 

The  autodial  section  {which  can  be  eliminated) 
is  contained  in  lines  1900  to  2550.  (If  you  eliminate 
this  section,  you  must  also  delete  line  160.)  The 
program  is  capable  of  dialing  four  predetermined 
phone  numbers.  This  leaves  about  80  bytes  of 
memory  free  in  the  unexpanded  VIC,  which  is 
sufficient  to  avoid  "crashes."  The  stored  numbers 
are  contained  in  PS(l-4)  in  line  1910.  These  should 
be  changed  to  your  favorite  BBS  {Bulletin  Board 
System)  or  information  network  access  numbers. 
An  area  code  can  be  added,  if  desired. 

Lines  1920-1940  display  a  menu  of  numbers 
and  provision  for  manual  entrv.  The  selected  (or 
entered)  number  becomes  PHS. 

The  POKE  in  line  2030  takes  the  modem  off 
hook  (in  other  words,  it  connects  the  modem  to 
the  telephone  network)  and  uses  a  FOR/NEXT 
loop  to  wait  approximately  two  seconds  for  the 
dial  tone. 

Lines  2040-2060  and  2500-2550  do  the  actual 
number-dialing  by  pulsing  a  relay  in  the  Micro- 
Connection.  Once  the  number  has  been  dialed, 
the  program  waits  in  line  2070  for  approximately 
30  seconds.  If  a  carrier  is  received  from  the  remote 
computer  within  this  period,  the  value  stored  at 
memory  location  37136  will  change  to  237.  When 
this  occurs,  the  program  branches  to  the  com- 
munications mode  in  line  200. 

The  terminal  section  of  the  program  repre- 


sents a  form  of  digital  "ioop-the-loop."  The 
modem  is  checked  for  a  received  character  in  line 
210.  If  none  is  found,  the  program  branches  to 
line  300  and  looks  for  a  keyboard  input.  Again,  if 
no  character  is  found,  the  program  loops  back  to 
line  210.  As  soon  as  a  modem  input  character  is 
received,  it  is  printed  on  the  screen  by  line  220.  If 
there  is  input  from  the  keyboard  in  line  300,  the 
program  looks  to  see  if  a  function  key  is  pressed 
{lines  320-345).  Other  keys  are  transmitted  by  line 
350.  Finally,  lines  800-840  disassemble  and  trans- 
mit the  ID  strings. 

MiniTerm-20  has  one  idiosyncrasy  that  1  de- 
cided to  live  with.  Each  time  the  host  computer 
sends  a  carriage  return,  the  program  will  "drop" 
a  cursor  on  the  screen.  This  could  be  corrected 
by  backspacing  and  erasing  the  cursor  after  a  car- 
riage return,  but  this  would  consume  additional 
memory. 

Finally,  if  additional  memory  is  required  (to 
make  room  for  additional  features  of  your  own, 
for  example).  Lines  20-40  can  be  deleted  without 
affecting  the  operation  of  the  terminal  program. 

See  program  listing  on  page  117.  © 


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on  special 

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and  monthly  specials 

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P.O.  Box  525   Dept  10    East  Setauket.  N.Y.  1 1733 
^     Source  TCP637     CompuServe  72135,1710      L 


TeleTerm  64 

A  Terminal  Program  For  The  Commodore  64 


Gregg  Peele,  Programming  Assistant 


One  of  the  least-used  features  of  home  com- 
puters is  their  ability  to  communicate  with 
other,  even  more  powerful,  computers  over 
any  distance.  "TeleTerm  64"  is  a  ready- to- type 
program  which  allows  the  Commodore  64  to 
be  used  as  a  remote  terminal  with  other 
systems. 


If  you've  ever  seen  a  large  computer  system,  you 
may  be  familiar  with  the  word  terminal.  This  refers 
to  a  device  -  usually  a  keyboard  and  screen  -  which 
is  hooked  up  to  a  host  computer.  The  terminal 
communicates  with  the  host  computer,  sending 
and  receiving  data.  With  a  modem  and  just  a  little 
programming,  a  Commodore  64  can  be  made  to 
emulate  (simulate)  a  terminal  -  providing  low-cost 
communication  with  other  computer  systems. 

The  modem  converts  the  computer's  output 
into  audible  tones  which  are  transmitted  through 
telephone  lines  just  like  an  ordinary  phone  call. 
The  modem  also  interprets  incoming  tones  from 
the  other  computer  as  they  come  through  the 
phone  lines  -  converting  them  back  into  the  data 
which  the  computer  can  process.  The  modem 
thus  acts  as  a  two-way  interpreter  for  communi- 
cation, making  it  possible  for  information  to  travel 
between  computers  over  standard  telephone 
lines. 

A  modem  cannot  do  all  of  this  interpreting 
by  itself,  however.  It  needs  help  from  a  terminal 
program.  There  are  many  terminal  programs  on 
the  market  with  all  kinds  of  special  features.  The 
VICmodem  even  comes  with  one  on  cassette. 
When  communicating  with  different  computers, 
though,  it's  nice  to  have  more  than  one  terminal 
program  to  assure  compatibility.  If  one  terminal 
program  doesn't  work  for  some  reason,  you  can 
try  another.  Or  you  can  customize  a  program  to 
work  well  in  a  certain  situation. 

The  program  included  here  -  "TeleTerm  64" 
-  was  designed  to  be  an  easy-to-use  terminal  pro- 
gram for  general-purpose  telecomputing.  It's  also 
designed  to  be  easily  customized. 

Using  TeleTerm  64 

Type  in  the  program  listing  on  page  125  and  save 


it  twice  on  tape  or  disk.  Now  switch  off  your  com- 
puter, hook  up  the  modem,  and  power  up.  LOAD 
and  RUN  TeleTerm  64.  There  will  be  a  pause  of 
about  45  seconds  as  the  program  sets  itself  up. 
When  initialized,  the  program  will  briefly  display 
READY  in  the  upper-left  corner  of  the  screen. 

Now  dial  the  distant  computer  with  which 
you  want  to  communicate.  If  you're  using  an 
acoustic  modem,  you'll  hear  a  tone  which  signals 
that  the  other  computer  has  answered  the  phone. 
With  a  direct-connect  modem,  such  as  the  VIC- 
modem, you  may  have  to  leave  the  telephone 
handsel  plugged  in  until  you  hear  the  tone,  and 
then  quickly  unplug  the  handset  and  connect  the 
modem. 

To  get  the  host  computer's  attention,  press 
the  RETURN  key  a  few  times.  Usually  this  will 
elicit  some  kind  of  response  from  the  host  com- 
puter. Now  you're  on-line  and  ready  to  go. 

Customizing  TeleTerm  64 

You  may  well  discover  that  TeleTerm  64  needs  no 
customizing  at  all  and  works  fine  as  is.  If  not, 
perhaps  some  simple  modifications  will  fix  the 
problem. 

To  customize  our  terminal  for  use  with  a  spe- 
cific host  computer,  the  special  function  keys  or 
other  keys  can  be  redefined.  We  can  assign  them 
almost  any  function  we  want.  This  is  easily  done 
by  changing  the  value  of  the  array  member  which 
contains  the  CHR$( )  ("character  string")  value  of 
that  particular  key. 

A  table  of  CHR$()  values  is  found  in  Appendix 
F  of  the  manual  which  came  with  the  computer, 
the  Commotion'  64  User's  Guide.  In  TeleTerm  64, 
the  value  for  outgoing  characters  is  represented 
by  the  variable  0%  (the  percent  symbol  means 
that  0%  is  an  integer  variable -a  variable  which 
can  represent  only  a  whole  number,  never  a  frac- 
tion). The  value  for  incoming  characters  is  repre- 
sented by  the  variable  1%.  These  variables  are 
used  to  assign  new  functions  to  the  keys. 

For  example,  to  make  the  Fl  special  function 
key  send  out  the  ASCII  backspace  code,  we  need 
a  statement  like  this: 

52  0%'(133>  =  8 

In  this  case,  the  statement  is  already  in  Tele- 

Seplember  1983     COMPUTEI's  Gazette     89 


Term  64,  at  line  52.  The  statement  is  easy  to  grasp. 
Remember:  0%  represents  outgoing  characters. 
The  number  133  represents  the  Commodore  code 
for  the  Fl  key,  as  listed  on  page  136  in  the  manual. 
The  number  8  is  the  standard  ASCII  code  for  back- 
space. Keep  in  mind  that  standard  ASCII  codes 
vary  from  Commodore  ASCII,  so  the  numbers  in 
Appendix  F  cannot  be  used  here.  Instead,  you 
will  have  to  find  an  ASCII  table  in  another  manual 
or  computer  book;  it  is  not  included  in  the  User's 
Guide  or  the  Commodore  64  Programmer's  Reference 
Guide.  (I  lowever,  a  standard  ASCII  table  is  found 
on  page  274  of  the  V1C-20  Programmer's  Reference 
Guide.) 

If  you  wish  to  receive  characters  and  make  a 
specific  translation  to  Commodore  codes,  then 
use  the  1%  variable  in  a  similar  way.  I  lere's  how: 

123I%(8)  =  157 

This  statement,  also  already  included  in  Tele- 
Term  64,  takes  the  incoming  standard  ASCII  code 
for  backspace  (8)  and  changes  it  to  the  Commodore 
code  for  cursor-left  (157).  Thus,  when  the  Com- 
modore 64  receives  a  character  code  from  the  host 
computer  that  stands  for  backspace,  it  will  move 
the  cursor  to  the  left. 

How  TeleTerm  64  Works 

In  TeleTerm  64,  first  we  close  device  #2  (in  case  it 
was  left  open  bv  a  previous  operation)  and  clear 


all  variables.  This  is  done  in  line  1 .  Next,  we  use 
the  OPEN  statement  to  open  the  channel  of  device 
#2,  and  to  set  parity  and  baud  rate.  This  is  done 
in  line  2  with  the  added  parameters  CHR$(6  +  32) 
+  CHR$(32  +  64),  which  specify  "no  parity"  and 
"300  baud."  (See  pages  34lJ-353  in  the  Commodore 
64  Programmer's  Reference  Guide  for  mure  informa- 
tion about  parameters  for  the  RS-232  port.) 

Line  6  sets  the  screen  and  border  colors  to 
black.  The  next  statements  convert  Commodore 
codes  to  standard  ASCII.  These  codes  are  stored 
in  an  array  (0%)  for  later  use  within  the  main 
loop  of  the  program.  After  this  array  is  complete, 
another  array  (1%)  is  formed  by  translating  the 
ASCII  codes  to  (heir  equivalent  Commodore  codes. 

With  all  our  translations  done,  the  word 
"READY"  appears  on  the  screen  and  the  keyboard 
is  set  in  upper/lowercase  mode.  The  main  loop  of 
the  program  now  commences.  This  loop  uses  the 
GET  command  to  alternately  check  the  keyboard 
(device  #0)  and  the  serial  port  where  the  modem 
is  connected  (device  #2)  to  see  if  a  character  has 
been  received.  If  no  character  has  been  received 
by  one  device,  the  program  checks  the  other.  If 
any  data  is  received,  it  is  immediately  printed  on 
the  screen.  Since  the  loop  is  limited  to  only  four 
lines,  the  program  runs  fast  enough  to  handle 
incoming  data  at  3(10  baud. 

See  program  listing  on  page  125.  (& 


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WRITERS' 

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REVIEWS 


Texminal-40  For  VIC 


Harvey  B.  Herman,  Associate  Editor 


Because  of  its  low  cost  and  ease 
of  use,  the  VICmodem  is  the 
most  popular  modem  among 
VIC-20  and  Commodore  64  users 
{see  the  VICmodem  review  in 
this  issue).  However,  the  termi- 
nal program  that  comes  with  the 
VICmodem  is  not  entirely  satis- 
factory. For  one  thing,  it  does 
not  address  the  short  line-length 
disadvantage  of  the  VIC-20, 
which  has  only  22  columns  per 
screen  line. 

The  software  reviewed  here 
overcomes  this  problem  in  an 
ingenious  fashion.  It  transforms 
a  VIC  equipped  with  at  least  8K 
of  additional  memory  and  a  suit- 
able modem  into  a  40-column 
communications  terminal.  Not 
only  that,  but  Tenninat-40  also 
provides  a  fine-scrolling  feature  - 
the  lines  scroll  smoothly  without 
any  abrupt  movement,  a  feature 
normally  seen  only  on  expensive 
dedicated  terminals. 

How  does  Tcnuhml-40  trans- 
form 22  columns  into  40?  It  may 
seem  like  magic,  but  it  is  more 
accurately  described  as  a  software- 
generated  character  set.  With  a 
few  look-alike  exceptions,  each 
character  is  defined  in  an  easily 
readable  3x6  dot  matrix.  I  had  a 
little  trouble  distinguishing  some 
characters  at  first,  m  and  n  for 
example,  but  I  quickly  got  used 
to  these.  It  does  help,  however, 
to  have  a  sharp  display;  I  used  a 
monitor. 

Magic  is  the  word  that  comes 
to  mind  again  while  watching 
the  smooth-scrolling  operation. 
The  fast  machine  language  pro- 
gram is  controlling  each  pixel 
dot  and  can  move  each  character 

9!     COMPUTE!'!  Gazette    September  1983 


smoothly,  one  pixel  at  a  time, 
to  generate  a  new  line.  A  well- 
designed  program  such  as 
Tenniiial-40  is  a  pleasure  to  watch 
and  use. 

The  Terminsl-40  tape  re- 
quires a  special  loading  sequence 
which  is  clearly  explained  in  the 
excellent  23-page  manual. 

Start-Up  Options 

After  the  program  is  up  and 
running,  a  series  of  options  (with 
default  settings)  is  presented. 
Your  particular  situation  may 
require  you  to  change  the  default 
settings.  Beginners  can  go  astray 
here,  so  check  with  the  operator 
of  the  remote  computer  system 
to  be  sure.  A  typical  configura- 
tion is: 

300  baud 
line  feed  off 
even  parity 
7  bits  word  size 

But  don't  count  on  it.  My 
local  university  computer  system 
recently  changed  to  no  parity 
after  operating  for  years  with 
even  parity.  Perhaps  they  like  to 
keep  us  on  our  toes. 

You  can  probably  guess  that 
I  like  this  program.  And  I  haven't 
even  told  you  about  several  other 
nice  touches:  a  4K  (or  larger) 
receive  buffer  and  programmable 
function  keys  for  frequently  used 
options.  Negative  points  are 
minor.  The  40-culumn  screen 
display  is  in  uppercase  only,  a 
few  characters  can  be  difficult  to 
read  at  first,  and  you  must  go 
through  all  the  preset  options  to 
change  just  one. 


HI  1  |> 

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With  TerminaI-40,  you  can  convert 
your  VIC-20  into  a  40-column  tele- 
computing terminal. 

Other  than  those  notes, 
consider  this  a  rave  review. 

Terminal-40 

Midwest  Micro  Associates 

P.O.  Box  6148 

Kansas  City,  MO  64110 

$29.95 


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COMPUTER  TAPE  PRICES 

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C-5        38/912      45M.25     .35/35.00     3Q,'300 

C-tO        40/960       5012.50      35/35.00     30/300 
C-20        45/1080      BH3J5      M00     3S'350 

BASF  DPS  Tapes  Add  .05  Cents  Per  Tape 

—  Custom  Lengths  A  variable  — 

. . .  Write  For  Volume  Prices. . . 

—  Norelco  Cassette  Cases  and  Labels 
\with  Cassette  Orders  Only] 
1 2-249  Cases    20  Ea.  250-   13  Ea 

12  Labels  lor  20  120  (or  1.70 

1000  Pinfeed  Labels  14.50 

SEND  MONEY  ORDERS  OR  CHECKS  TO: 
CASS-A-TAPES 

Box8123-E 

Kansas  City,  MO  64 112 

816-444-4651 


RAMAX 

The  UN  L  Y  MEMORY  your  VIC-20®  will  need 


FEATURES 


•  A  full  27k  bytes  of  RAM 

(added  to  VICs  5k 
equals  32k.) 

•  Fully  switchable  in  sections: 

BLK  1  switches  8k 

(Adr.  8 192  to  16383) 
BLK  2  switches  8k 

(Adr.  16384  to  24575) 
BLK  3  switches  8k 

(Adr.  24576  to  32767) 
BLK  5  allows/disallows  your 

8k  ROM  (games) 

(Adr.  40960  to  491 52) 
RAM  switches  3k  (Adr,  1 024  to  4095) 
•  May  be  used  with  Super  Expander "' 
games  or  ANY  other  VIC-20 
compatible  cartridge. 

•  Built  in  RESET  switch. 

•  Fuse  protected. 

•  Totally  self-contained. 

•  2  duplicate  extension  connectors  for  any  device 
normally  plugged  into  the  expansion  port. 
(BLK  5  is  switched  to  connectors) 

•  Very  low  power  usage.  {.150  amp  max.) 

•  High  reliability  gold  plated  connectors. 

•  6  month  parts  and  labor  warranty. 

•  Factory  service.  -  Extended  service  always  available. 

THIS  SUPERB  PLUG-IN  GIVES  YOUR  VIC-20 
REAL  POWER  AND  EXPANDABILITY 

FOR    ONLY$149L00       Shipping  included 

1 0  DAY  SATISFACTION  OR  YOUR  MONEY  BACK  GUARANTEE 
WE  ARE  NOW  OFFERING  "RAMAX  Jr."  (19k), 
which  is  identical  to  RAMAX  in  EVERY  way,  except  the 
top  8k  (BLK  3)  is  not  incorporated.  Our  introduction 
price  is  $129.00,  shipping  included. 

WE  SERVICE  WHAT  WE  SELL 

TO  ORDER: 

Send  Check  or  Money  Order  For  the  Total 

Calif,  residents  add  6%  tax. 

Phone  orders:  CALL  (805)  482-3604  24  HRS. 

For  credit  card  orders,  include  all  information  on  card. 

or  contact  your  local  dealer. 

ri'vlj  Foreign  orders,  add  $15.00.         ££% 

All  items  shipped  from  stock. 
DEALER  INQUIRIES  WELCOME 


SOFTWARE 


DR.  FLOYD 


.APROPOS  TECHNOLOGY, 


Psychoanalysis  by  computer?  —  well,  not  quite,  but  Dr.  Ftoyd  will 
carry  on  a  conversation  with  you  using  psychoanalytic  techniques 
giving  the  appearance  of  artificial  intelligence.  Requires  16k  RAM 
or  more. 
S1 4,95  shipping  included. 

WORD  PLAY 

"WORDPLAY"  is  a  collection  of  programs  which  allow  the  user  to 
make  original  stories,  write  a  form  of  Japanese  poetry,  play  the  fun 
game  of  Animal  (children  love  this  one),  and  create  jargon.  A 
bonus  secret  message  (cypher)  program  is  also  included.  In  a 
word,  "WORDPLAY"  is  a  bargain. 
Requires  16k  RAM  or  more. 
$14.95  shipping  included. 

TYPE  FOR  YOUR  LIFE 

With  more  challenge  than  an  arcade  game,  learn  to  type  up  to  75+ 
words/min.  (User  selectable,  but  no  FOOLING  AROUND  allowed), 
TEXT  IS  WIDELY  VARIED  SINCE  IT  COMES  FROM  THE 
PROGRAM  TAPE.  Action  color  graphics  with  sound  fix  your  eyes 
to  the  screen  (away  from  your  fingers  -  clever!)  Your  man  rows 
your  boat  up  stream  as  fast  as  you  can  type.  Maintain  speed  and 
destroy  the  Sea  Monster;  slow  down  and  he  will  get  you.  Runs  on 
the  unexpanded  VIC. 
$14.95  snipping  included, 

All  software  is  on  high  quality  cassettes 
and  is  replacement  guaranteed, 

ViC-20  &  SUPER  EXPANDER  are  registered 
trademarks  of  Commodore  Business  Machinss,  Inc. 

350  N.  Lantana  Ave.,  Suite  821 
Camarillo,  CA  93010 


REVIEWS 


VlCmodem  For  VIC  And  64 


Harvey  B.  Herman,  Associate  Editor 


Modem:  A  device  which  takes  data 
from  a  computer  and  converts  it  into 
signals  which  can  he  transmitted 
over  telephone  lines  to  another  com- 
puter with  a  modem. 

Terminal  program:  Software  required 
to  operate  the  modem  and  thereby 
transform  a  personal  computer  into 
a  communications  terminal. 

If  you  want  to  purchase  an  inex- 
pensive terminal  to  communicate 
by  telephone  with  distant  com- 
puters, try  adding  a  VlCmodem 
to  your  VIC-20  or  Commodore 
64.  1  am  not  aware  of  a  more 
inexpensive  method  to  bring  the 
world  of  computer  information 
services  right  into  your  home  or 
office. 

For  example,  using  this 
equipment,  you  can  place  a  local 
call  to  the  CompuServe  Informa- 
tion Service  and  find  out  the 
latest  quote  on  Commodore  stock 
or  the  next  flight  leaving  for  your 
favorite  vacation  spot.  The  list  of 
services  by  various  companies  is 
expanding  rapidly  and  includes 
something  for  everyone. 

I  do  not  exaggerate  when  1 
say  this  equipment  is  inexpen- 
sive. Included  in  the  low  price  is 
a  simple  no-frills  terminal  pro- 
gram which  works  on  the  unex- 
panded  VIC,  plus  one  free  hour 
of  connect  time  each  on  Compu- 
Serve, The  Source,  and  the  Dow 
Jones  Information  Network. 
Since  the  combined  discounted 
price  of  a  VIC- 20  Computer  and 
the  VlCmodem  is  now  less  than 
$200,  I  would  estimate  that  it 
costs  less  than  half  that  of  any 
other  dedicated  terminal/modem 
on  the  market  today.  And  you 

94    COMPUTEI's  Gazette    September  1983 


have  a  real  computer,  too! 

The  Terminal 
Program 

You  say  there  must  be  some 
catch.  Well,  there  is.  Each  time 
you  want  to  use  the  VIC  as  a 
terminal,  you  must  load  a  termi- 
nal program  (unless  the  program 
is  on  a  cartridge).  A  dedicated 
terminal  would  be  ready  on 
power-up.  Of  course,  a  dedi- 
cated terminal  cannot  play 
GORF. 

Another  disadvantage  is  the 
22-charaeter  screen  line  of  the 
VIC.  Most  dedicated  terminals 
would  display  40,  64,  or  80  char- 
acters on  a  line.  However,  new 
programs  introduced  by  other 
firms  (such  as  Terminal-40,  also 
reviewed  in  this  issue)  get 
around  the  22-character  limita- 
tion using  software  tricks.  And, 
of  course,  you  get  the  usual 
40-character  screen  when  using 
the  VlCmodem  with  the  Com- 
modore 64. 

A  slick  manual  comes  with 
the  package,  but  the  directions 
are  confusing.  Two  acquain- 
tances have  had  trouble  using 


The  VlCmodem  plugs  into  the  user  port 
of  a  VIC-20  or  Commodore  64.  A 
modular  cord  then  connects  it  to  the 
telephone. 


The  Commodore  VlCmodem  is  one  of 
the  least  expensive  ways  to  get  started 

in  telecomputing. 

the  modem  because  the  direc- 
tions tell  you  to  call  the  other 
computer  before  loading  the 
terminal  program.  This  usually 
won't  work  because  the  other 
computer  will  hang  up  the  phone 
before  you  can  gel  the  program 
loaded.  Here  is  some  advice  for 
the  novice: 

1.  You  should  have  a  phone 
with  a  detachable  modular  hand- 
set. Elaborate  phones  with  com- 
bined dialers  and  handsets  will 
not  work. 

2.  First,  plug  the  VlCmodem 
into  the  user  port  with  the  power 
off. 

3.  Then,  turn  on  the  com- 
puter and  load  and  run  the  ter- 
minal program. 

4.  Next,  dial  the  remote 
computer.  When  you  hear  the 
high-pitched  tone,  detach  the 
handset  and  plug  its  modular 
cord  into  the  socket  on  the  VlC- 
modem. Complete  the  remote 
computer's  log-on  sequence.  Do 
not  hang  up  the  handset  until 
you  log  off  later. 

5.  I  sometimes  plug  in  the 
phone  before  1  dial  and  rely  on 
the  indicator  light  to  tell  me 
when  a  successful  connection 
has  been  made.  You  might  try 
this  method  if  you  are  a  little 
slow  in  switching  the  modular 
cord  and  if  the  remote  computer 
tends  to  hang  up. 


6.  If  you  are  having  prob- 
lems with  long-distance  calls 
because  of  low  signal  levels,  as 
I  do,  perhaps  your  telephone 
company  can  help.  Local  tele- 
phone calls  work  just  fine  for 
me.  However,  I  sometimes  have 
trouble  calling  bulletin  boards  in 
other  cities.  This  problem  is  not 
unique  to  the  VICmodem,  but 
you  should  be  aware  of  the 
possibility. 

This  product  is  a  real  bargain 
which  provides  an  additional 
dimension  to  the  VIC  or  64.  I 
recommend  it  highly. 
VICmodem 

Commodore  Business  Machines,  Inc. 
1200  Wilsvn  Drive 
West  Chester,  PA  19380 
$109.95  f$ 


FIVE  POWERFUL  SOFTWARE 
DEVELOPMENT  TOOLS 

Plus  the  Smting  J\\w  tfwk 
INSIDE  THE  VIC 


THE  BOOK 

A  complBle  clear  explanation  of  maciinn 
Unguagfl,  Assembly  language,  VIC  20  archl- 
[flutLua.  graphics,  joystick  and  sound  effeel 
programming.  Detailed  step-by  step  guide  to  the 
i..jsn  of  the  develop menl  tools.  How  to  combine 
BASIC  and  machine  language,  make  auto-alarl 
cartridges,  interface  wlih  the  internal  hom- 
baaed  programs  of  BASIC  and  Ihe  Kernel. 
Sample  programs  fully  explained. 


THE  TOOLS 


Assembler,  EdltorfLMdef;  Decoder/ Monitor 
Full- featured  Assembler  a' lews  use  of  labels. 
comments  and  arithmetic  expressions  to  create 
machine  language  programs.  Create,  save, 
modify  Assembly  language  programs  wlih  the 
Editor.  Load  and  link  machine  language  modules 
with  the  Loader.  Decode  machine  language  back 
into  assembly  language  tor  study  or  Input  to  the 
Editor.  Single-step  program  execution  with  the 
Monitor.  Extended  features  combines  Assembler/ 
Editor  for  maximum  ease  of  use. 


ALL  FOR  $49.95  PLUS  $2.00  POSTAGE  AND  HANDLING  Standard  version  runs  on 
any  system  with  Datasette  (SK  and  up)  Add  $5.00  for  disk  version,  $5.00  for  extended  features 
{minimum  6K)  Sand  check,  M  Q  ,  visa/mc  ($2,00  S.C.)  or  specify  C.O.D.  (add  $3.00)  to: 

I 


%Zf±£Sl 


P.O.  Box  207.  Cannon  Falls,  MN   55009 

507-263-4821 

VIC  20  It  a  r«jlit* rtd  III  of 
Commodote  Bufine n  Maemnri  lm 


CBM-64 


M&  &?■ 


WITH   GRAFDOS    ENHANCHD    DISK   UTILITY   FOR   THE 
COMMODORE  64 

Alter  ii  year  of  development.  QRAFDOS,  an  enhanced  new  disk  operating 
system  Mill  make  ill,.-  easier  for  thousands  ill  disk  owners.  No  longer  do  you 
have  to  use  Ihe  cumbersome  wedge,  (iRAI'IX)S  provides  over  40  new  com- 
in.irids  lor  both  DOS  and   BASIC.   Below   is  a  list  of  new  command*. 

DOS  COMMANDS  BASIC  COMMANDS  -  HIRES 


LOAD;  lite  name 

CATaloj! 

SAVKTilenamc" 

INIT 

RUNTilcname" 

WATCH 

[il.OAD'lilenamc" 

OFF 

USAVETilenainc" 

STAT 

tENAME 

CHAIN 

BASIC  COMMANDS  -  HIRES 

PLOT 

ELIP 

MOR 

WCHAR 

screen 

DRAW 

ALT 

COI'Y 

NORM 

PIC 

PSAVE 

MISC. 

COMMANDS 

KEY 

VTAB 

SOUND 

HTAB 

HOME 

HIMEM 

TRAP 

SPEED 

TEXT 

EXIT 

BASIC 

CFRI.-G 

LORES 

I.liR  HLIN 

I.COE  VEIN 


A>.  an  added  bonus.  (jRAHX)S  includes  the  MINI-MON.  a  powerful  machine 
language  monitor  and  mim-assemblcr  with  20  commands!  (See  description  in  nest 
column.  I 

The  disk  also  comes  w  ith  sample  programs  and  demos  including  a  mtisie  generator! 

This  is  a  DOS  that  esen  CHM-n-t  owner  should  have  on  every  disk! 


WITH  MINI-MONITOR 

FOR  THE  VIC-20 

AND  CBM-64 

, 
A  powerful  machine  cede  monitor  which 
is  not  so  mini  has  20  commands  to: 

Disassemble  651)2  code 

En  amine  memory 

Test  dump 

Move  memory 

Hunt  memory  for  a  string 

Fill  menxtry  with  any  byte 

HEX  -  DEC  conversion 

I  tin  code 

Mint-assembler 

Switch  ticrnal  to  RAM 

Switch  BASIC  lu  RAM 

The  only  thing  mini  in  this  monitor  is  Ihe 
price!  VIC-20  version  requires  HK  expan- 
sion. 

Cassette  $15.95 

Disk     $19.95 


INTERESTING  SOFTWARE 

21101  S.  Harvard  Blvd 

Torrance.  CA  90501 

(213)328-9422 

Visa  MC  Check  Money  Order  -  Add  S2  00 

CA  residents  add  6V;.%  sales  tan 


ORDER  NOW!  ONLY 


Dealer  inquiries  invited. 


LARRY  ISAACS 


64  EXPLORER 


Single-Drive 
Disk  Copying 

Part  2 


This  month  we'll  wrap  up  the  project  we  started 
in  August:  a  single-drive  disk  copy  program  that 
lets  you  back  up  various  kinds  of  files  on  your 
disks.  A  ready-to-type  program  listing  for  this 
valuable  utility  is  included  this  month.  Also,  I'll 
briefly  review  a  new  printer  interface  for  the 
Commodore  64. 

Disk  Backups 

You'll  recall  from  August  that  we  discussed  the 
necessity  -  and  the  difficulties  -  of  backing  up 
programs  on  disk.  With  BASIC  programs  this  is 
no  problem.  Just  LOAD  the  program  into  the 
computer,  swap  disks,  and  SAVE.  But  this  won't 
work  with  special  programs  which  load  via  a  non- 
relocating  LOAD  command,  that  is,  LOAD 
"FILE",8,1.  Among  these  is  the  DOS  (Disk  Oper- 
ating System)  5.1  program  on  the  master  disk  that 
comes  with  the  1541  disk  drive.  We  discussed 
what  a  useful  utility  this  is.  It's  certainly  worth 
keeping  a  backup  copy  of  DOS  5.1,  but  the  "COPY/ 
ALL"  program  on  the  master  disk  will  not  work 
with  DOS  5.1  and  other  files  of  this  type. 

I  closed  last  month's  column  by  promising  to 
give  you  a  single  drive  file  copy  program  I  wrote 
myself.  You'll  find  it  among  the  program  listings 
in  the  back  of  the  magazine,  on  page  123.  First, 
let's  cover  the  instructions  for  using  this  copy 
program.  Then,  I'll  give  you  a  short  program  and 
table  of  numbers  which  will  verify  if  you've  typed 
in  the  copy  program  correctly. 

To  make  it  easier  to  develop  this  copy  pro- 
gram, I  allowed  a  couple  of  limitations.  First,  only 
program,  sequential,  and  user  file  types  may  be 
copied.  Second,  only  files  small  enough  to  fit  into 
memory  can  be  copied.  This  turns  out  to  be  files 
which  are  less  than  32768  bytes  in  length.  Since 
this  utility  is  intended  mainly  for  copying  pro- 

96     COM PUTEiS  Gazette     September  19B3 


grams,  which  have  to  fit  into  memory  anyway, 
this  size  limitation  shouldn't  be  much  of  a 
problem. 

To  use  the  utility,  first  load  it  into  memory 
after  typing  it  in  and  saving  it  on  disk.  Then  place 
the  disk  which  contains  the  file  you  want  to  copy 
into  the  drive.  Now  RUN  the  copy  utility.  First 
the  directory  will  be  read  into  memory,  and  the 
first  16  files  of  the  three  copyable  types  will  be 
displayed.  You  will  then  be  prompted  to  enter  a 
filename  and  file  type.  The  name  and  type  should 
be  entered  on  the  same  line,  separated  by  a 
comma.  If  the  file  you  wish  to  copy  is  shown  on 
the  screen,  you  may  move  the  cursor  to  the  line 
containing  the  name  and  press  RETURN.  Simply 
pressing  RETURN  in  response  to  the  prompt  will 
display  the  next  16  filenames  and  reissue  the 
prompt. 

Once  the  file  has  been  selected,  the  program 
will  try  to  read  it  into  memory.  If  the  file  is  suc- 
cessfully read  into  memory  without  error,  you 
will  be  prompted  to  place  the  destination  disk 
into  the  drive.  When  the  desired  disk  is  in  the 
drive  and  the  drive  door  is  closed,  press  RETURN. 
At  this  point,  the  file  will  be  written  from  memory 
to  the  destination  disk  using  the  same  filename  as 
the  original.  If  a  file  by  that  name  is  already  present 
on  the  disk,  you  are  given  a  chance  to  specify  a 
new  filename. 

Once  the  copy  is  made,  you  will  be  asked  if 
you  want  to  copy  another  file.  If  so,  place  the 
desired  disk  into  the  drive  and  press  RETURN.  If 
you  wish  to  exit  instead,  press  a  key  other  than 
RETURN.  You  may  abort  the  program  at  any  other 
point  by  pressing  RUN/STOP  and  RESTORE 
simultaneously.  Unrecognized  errors  during  the 
copy  process  also  will  cause  the  program  to  abort 
with  an  error  message. 


"CARD/?" 
(CARD  PRINT) 

UNIVERSAL  CENTRONICS 
PARALLEL  PRINTER 
INTERFACE  FOR  THE  VIC-20" 
Now  you  can  use  any  parallel  printer 
Willi  your  VIC-20'.  And  you  don't  have 
lo  give  up  the  use  ot  your  user  port 
(MODEM),  or  change  to  special  printer 
commands,   or  load  any  special   soft- 
ware driver  programs  to  do  it. 
■   Outputs  standard  ASCII  codes  to 
the  printer 

•  Plugs  in  the  VIC-20"  printer  serial 
i/oport. 

•  Understands  all  standard  VIC-20' 
print  commands. 

•  No  modification  to  your  VIC-20' 

•  No  special  programs  required, 

•  Includes  all  necessary  cables  to 
hook  up  a  slandard  printer  using 
Centronics  parallel  input. 

•  MADE  IN  THE  U  S.A. 

Trie    CARD/7    is  a  product  ol  CARDCO.  Inc 

$76.00 


'•"CQilFU  SErtftEC 


TO  ORDER: 
P.O.  BOX  768 
WICHITA.  KS  67201 
(316)363-1095 


Handling  charges  S3  Of! 

COD  (Add  $Z  00) 

Personal  checks  allow  3  week  delivery 

VIC-20"  is  .1  registered  trademark  of  Commotion* 
Prices  subject  10  change 


FIVE  POWERFUL  SOFTWARE 
DEVELOPMENT  TOOLS 

Wits  Zhc  Smt'utg  fyw  Book 

INSIDE  THE  COMMODORE  64 " 


THE  BOOK 

A  complete  clear  sxplanatlpn  of  machine 
lanrjufioe.  Assembly  language.  Commodore  04 
archltrclurs.  graphica.  Joystick  and  sound  effect 
programming,  Detailed  a  top-by- 3  tap  guide  to  the 
use  ol  Iho  development  tool*.  How  to  combine 
BASIC  and  machine  language,  make  «uto-»HM 
cartridges,  Inlerlace  with  the  Internal  ROM- 
baaed  programs  of  BASIC  and  ihe  Kernal. 
Sample  programs  fully  explained. 


THE  TOOLS 

Aa  ■■  m  b!  err"  Ed  I  torf  Lo*de  rt  Decoder/  M  onltor 
Full-featured  Assembler  allows  use  of  labels, 
comments  and  arithmetic  expressions  to  create 
machine  language  programs.  Create,  aave, 
modify  Assembly  language  programs  with  ihn 
Editor  Load  end  link  machine  language  modulai 
with  the  Loader  Decode  machine  language  back 
Inlo  assembly  language  for  study  or  Input  to  the 
Edllor.  Single  step  program  execution  with  the 
Monitor.  Combines  Aaaembler'Edllor  for  maul- 
mum  ease  of  use. 


ALL  FOR  $54.95  PLUS  $2.00  POSTAGE  AND  HANDLING     Add  15.00  for  dlflk  version. 
Send  check,  M.O.,  VISA/MC  {$2,00  S.C)  or  .specify  C.O.D,  (add  $3.00)  to: 


P.O.  Box  207,  Connon  Falls,  MN    55009 
507-203-4821 

ComnoOott  H"  li  i  (njtUneH  TM  of 
CofnfT*oOo4f  Buirrw-iE  hUchlnei  Inc. 


HUNDREDS  OF  PROGRAMS 


COMMODORE  64  &  VIC  20 


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Star  Tech  •  UMI  •  Comm'Daia  •  Vicville  •  Victory 

and  Much  Mere 

ALL  PRICES  UP  TO  30V.  BELOW  RETAIL!) 


RETAIL 

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HESWnter                                      39.95 

29.95 

Ouick  Brown  Fox  {Word  Prpc)            65  00 

47  50 

Gridrunner                                      39,95 

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36  50 

Spiders  Of  Mars                               4995 

37.50 

Hang  Man 'Hang  Math                          14.95 

11.25 

ACCESSORIES  AVAILABLE  ALSO 

Monitcrs  ■  Printers  •  Expansion  Hoards 

Cables  •  Interlaces 

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September  T983    COMPUTE!-!  Goietle    97 


Notes  On  The  Program 

I  originally  intended  the  workings  of  this  program 
to  be  extremely  simple  and  easy  to  understand. 
However,  I  deviated  from  this  goal  in  an  effort  to 
make  it  more  user-friendly.  It  may  not  be  clear  in 
some  places  why  I  did  something  a  certain  way.  It 
shouldn't  be  too  hard  in  most  cases  to  figure  out 
what  is  going  on. 

In  the  program  listing,  there  are  174  bytes  of 
machine  language  encoded  in  DATA  statements. 
This  machine  code  contains  three  separate 
routines  which  are  called  from  BASIC  via  the 
USR( )  function.  The  first  routine  reads  the  file 
into  memory  and  returns  the  number  of  bytes 
read  or  an  error  indication.  The  second  routine 
writes  the  file  from  memory  to  disk  and  returns 
the  number  of  bytes  written  or  an  error  indication. 
And  finally,  the  third  returns  individual  characters 
from  the  file  in  memory.  This  third  routine  is  used 
for  displaying  the  directory.  The  primary  reason 
for  machine  language  for  these  functions  is  to 
achieve  maximum  speed,  especially  for  the  file 
read  and  write  functions. 

To  help  verify  that  the  DATA  statements  are 
entered  correctly,  use  the  following  verification 
procedure.  Enter  lines  20  through  50  of  the  main 
program  followed  by  all  the  DATA  statements. 
Then  enter  the  following  temporary  program 
lines: 

100    TL=0:FOR    1=0    TO    L73 

110  TL=TL+PEEK( 7936+1) 

120  T=IKT((l+l)/8)*8-l 

130    IF   T=I    THEN    PRINT   TL, :TL=0 

140    NEXT    I: PRINT    TL 

Then  run  the  program.  This  will  add  the  bytes 
POKEd  for  each  DATA  statement  and  print  these 
totals  on  the  screen  in  four  columns.  You  can  check 
the  numbers  printed  by  your  program  with  those 
shown  below: 

547  287  1015  987 

1184  1589  1287  1145 

1263  1163  647  882 

1346  1066  1174  1284 

1590  1410  1143  583 

1110  456 

If  any  of  the  numbers  do  not  match,  you 
should  check  the  associated  DATA  statement  to 
find  the  number  which  is  in  error.  Once  your  num- 
bers all  match,  you  can  delete  lines  100  through 
140  and  resume  entering  the  main  program. 

Interfacing  A  Printer 

I  recently  attended  the  Trenton  Computer  Festival 
(I  was  working  a  booth,  actually)  where  I  pur- 
chased a  printer  interface  to  connect  my  Commo- 
dore 64  to  my  NEC-8023  printer.  The  printer 
interface  I  bought  was  the  CARD/?  Universal  Cen- 
tronics Printer  Interface  made  by  Cardco,  Inc.,  in 
Wichita,  Kansas.  The  main  reason  for  purchasing 

98    COMPUTEI's  Gazette    Seplembor  1963 


(his  printer  interface  was  that  it's  one  of  the  less 
expensive  units  on  the  market,  plus  it  was  very 
attractively  discounted  late  Sunday  afternoon, 
just  before  the  show  was  to  close.  The  normal  list 
price  for  the  CARD/?  is  $79.95. 

The  reason  such  a  device  is  needed  is  to  con- 
vert the  serial  output  that  comes  from  the  64  to 
the  parallel  input  required  by  my  NEC  printer. 
The  difference  between  serial  and  parallel  is  that 
in  serial  the  binary  digits  (called  bits),  which  make 
up  binary  numbers,  are  sent  sequentially  on  a 
single  wire,  one  after  the  other.  In  parallel  com- 
munications, groups  of  bits  are  sent  together  at 
once,  i.e.,  in  parallel. 

The  actual  interface  consists  of  a  small  box 
approximately  5.5  inches  by  3  inches  by  1  inch 
with  cables  coming  out  opposite  ends.  The  cable 
going  to  the  printer  is  about  14  inches  long  and 
terminates  with  a  standard  Centronics  parallel 
connector.  The  serial  cable  to  go  to  the  64  (or  1541 
disk  drive,  if  one  is  present)  is  about  six  feet  long. 
There  is  another  cable  which  connects  to  the  cas- 
sette port  on  the  64  to  obtain  power  for  the  inter- 
face. The  hookup  procedure  described  in  the 
CARD/?  manual  indicated  that  this  power  con- 
nection might  be  optional.  This  would  imply  that 
the  interface  might  draw  power  from  the  printer. 
However,  1  found  the  power  connection  to  the 
printer  cut,  so  the  power  connection  to  the  64  is 
required.  Apparently,  the  manual  hasn't  been 
updated  yet.  1  would  hazard  a  guess  that  the  con- 
nection was  cut  because  plugging  it  into  the  printer 
while  it  is  switched  on  could  damage  the  printer 
or  the  interface.  If  this  is  true,  it  would  be  unwise 
to  reconnect  it,  even  if  your  printer  is  able  to  power 
the  interface. 

When  I  began  reading  the  manual,  I  was 
pleasantly  surprised  at  all  the  features  the  interface 
supports.  In  checking  out  the  interface,  I  also 
discovered  that  its  operation  didn't  quite  match 
what  the  manual  said.  I  will  describe  the  operation 
I  observed,  since  the  changes  appear  to  be 
improvements. 

CARD/?  Features 

The  CARD/?  interface  supports  five  different 
printing  modes.  The  various  modes  are  selected 
by  the  third  argument  in  the  OPEN  command. 
This  argument  is  most  often  called  the  "secondary 
address."  For  example,  a  command  to  open  a 
channel  to  the  printer  would  be: 

OPEN4,4,MODE 

where  MODI',  is  a  variable  containing  a  number 
from  0  to  8.  Actually  these  five  modes  may  be 
divided  into  three  basic  types,  normal  printing 
mode,  listing  mode,  and  graphics  mode.  In  normal 
printing  mode  a  small  amount  of  character  trans- 
lation is  done.  This  translation  consists  of  con- 


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verting  character  15,  CHR$(15),  to  character  20, 
CHR$(20),  and  vice  versa.  This  is  intended  to 
make  most  other  printers  better  imitate  the  VIC 
printer  with  respect  to  enlarged  printing. 

The  listing  mode  is  naturally  intended  for 
making  listings.  In  this  mode,  certain  character 
codes  are  converted  to  a  four-character  sequence 
when  printed.  These  characters  arc  the  screen 
control  characters,  which  might  have  an  entirely 
different  control  function  if  sent  to  the  printer 
unchanged.  There  is  a  unique  four-character  se- 
quence for  each  of  these  special  codes,  except  for 
the  color  control  codes,  which  all  print  "{CC}". 
The  ones  which  do  print  uniquely  are  as  follows: 


{hm} 

s 

HOME 

Erv} 

= 

REVERSE  ON 

Ecu} 

= 

CURSOR  UP 

EclS 

= 

CURSOR  LEFT 

I  ID] 

m 

INSERT  or  DELETE 

Esc} 

= 

SCREEN  CLEAR 

iRO] 

= 

REVERSE  OFF 

tCDj 

= 

CURSOR  DOWN 

ECR] 

= 

CURSOR  RIGHT 

This  table  differs  from  what  is  given  in  the 
manual,  which  describes  a  set  of  conversions  that 
is  not  as  complete.  I  ligher-priced  units  might  be 
able  to  convert  the  color  control  codes  uniquely  as 
well,  but  you  can't  have  everything  and  low  cost. 

The  graphics  mode  is  used  to  send  all  charac- 
ters to  the  printer  unchanged.  This  is  necessary 
because  the  characters  scut  to  the  printer  while 
printing  graphics  don't  represent  fully  formed 
characters.  These  characters  instead  directly 
specify  the  pattern  of  dots. 

The  normal  printing  mode  and  the  listing 
mode  both  allow  a  selection  between  uppercase 
only  or  upper/lowercase.  There  is  no  additional 
translation  involved  with  the  uppercase-onlv 
mode,  where  the  upper/lowercase  mode  converts 
upper-  and  lowercase  characters  as  needed  to 
appear  correctly  on  the  printer.  However,  the 
Commodore  graphics  characters  are  not  con- 
verted, so  unless  the  printer  supports  Commodore 
graphics  characters,  you  will  see  whatever  the 
printer  wants  to  print  as  that  character.  Addition- 
ally, in  the  normal  printing  mode,  you  may  switch 
from  uppercase-only  to  the  upper/lowercase  mode 
by  printing  a  CHRS(17),  and  vice  versa  bv  printing 
aCHR$(145). 

The  manual  also  states  that  the  normal 
printing  and  listing  modes  support  selection  be- 
tween automatic  line  feeds  or  no  automatic  line 
feeds.  It  appears  (hat  this  feature  was  sacrificed  to 
allow  more  conversions  in  the  listing  mode.  Actu- 
ally, this  is  no  sacrifice  since  the  auto  line  feed 
can  be  enabled  in  the  64  by  specifying  a  logical 
file  number  greater  than  127.  {This  logical  file 

100    COMPUTE!')  Gazette    September  1983 


number  is  the  first  one  following  the  "OPEN".) 

The  manual  that  comes  with  the  CARD/?, 
despite  being  a  little  out-of-date,  is  otherwise 
good.  It  contains  both  reference  and  tutorial  in- 
formation, and  each  topic  is  usually  accompanied 
by  an  example.  There  are  also  a  healthy  number 
of  appendices,  including  some  examples  on  using 
the  graphics  mode.  These  examples  apply  to  the 
Gemini-10  and  Epson  printers,  though  they  can 
be  adapted  to  most  other  printers  capable  of  dot 
graphics. 

At  this  point,  I  won't  make  any  comparisons 
to  other  printer  interfaces,  but  I  would  rate  the 
CARD/?  as  a  worthwhile  purchase.  I'll  discuss 
other  printer  interfaces  in  future  columns.  If  there 
is  enough  interest  in  reviewing  printers,  we  can 
discuss  their  various  merits  and  uses  also.  Please 
drop  me  a  line  if  you're  interested. 

Larry  Isaacs 

COMPUTE!'s  Gazette 
P.O.  Box  5406 
Greensboro,  NC  27403 

See  program  listing  on  page  223.  <gf 


Q  commodore 

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CBM  1520  Plotter 169 

CBM  4023  Printer 399 

CBM  1526  Printer 369 

SOFTWARE  FOR  CBM  641 

Word  Processing  (WordPro  3*)  ......  S  69 

M  File  Database 

(merge  with  WordPro) 89 

Quick  Brown  Fox 56 

Writer's  Assistant  (easy  and  flexible). . .  99 

File  Assistant  (database  with  merge) 99 

Spreadsheet  Assistant 99 

Pers.  Finance  Assist,  (great  reports)  ...  45 

Busicalc  (Spreadsheet) 55 

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Cole  Result 125 

General  Ledger,  A/R,  fnv., 

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Data  Manager 70 

Stock  (investment  analysis) 80 

Pet  Emulator , 30 

Sprite-Master 29 

Assembler  Package  (cassette  or  disk, 

complied,  Includes  editor,  loader, 

disassembler) 39 

Spacebett 20 

Retrobait 34 

2WARK -25 

Hesmon 27 

INTERFACES  &  ACCESSORIES 

BO  Column  Expander SI 59 

VIC  1600  Modem 95 

VIC  1 650  (auto  answer,  auto  diol) 150 

VIC  1 525  Graphic  Primer 329 

VIC  1 530  Dataserte  Recorder 65 

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ViC  Switch  (connect  8  64's  or  Vies 

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PET-IEEE  coble 33 

IEEE-IEEE  cable  (2m) 43 

Parallel  Interface  (Epson,  Okidata, 

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RS-232  Printer  interface  (Okidata, 

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POWER  BASK 


64  Searcher 


David  W.  Martin 


This  month's  installment  of  'Tower  BASIC"  - 
a  continuing  series  of  short  machine  language 
routines  to  enhance  your  computer's  capabil- 
ities -  is  a  search  utility  for  Commodore  64 
programmers.  It  was  adapted  from  a  similar 
program  for  the  VIC-20  published  in  the  Feb- 
ruary 1983  issue  of  COMPUTE!,  the  Gazette's 
companion  magazine. 

Many  programmers,  when  working  on  a  long 
program,  often  get  lost  in  their  own  code.  That  is, 
they  decide  they  want  to  change  a  certain  state- 
ment, but  they  have  trouble  finding  it  among  the 
scores  or  hundreds  of  other  statements.  Or 
perhaps  they  need  to  find  every  occurrence  of  a 
certain  variable,  or  a  certain  number,  or  a  word  in 
PRINT  statements  or  lines  of  DATA.  It's  easy  to 
suffer  bloodshot  eyes  when  poring  laboriously 
over  a  program  in  search  of  a  single  statement  or 
character. 

That's  where  "64  Searcher"  comes  in  handy. 
Let  the  computer  do  the  tedious  work.  A  short 
utility  program  written  in  machine  language  can 
search  a  BASIC  program  from  top  to  bottom  much 
faster  and  easier  than  human  eyes  can. 

You  don't  need  to  know  machine  language 
to  use  64  Searcher.  It's  in  the  form  of  a  BASIC 
loader  which  loads  the  machine  language  into 
memory  for  you.  64  Searcher  then  waits  in  an 
area  of  normally  unused  memory  (starting  at 
location  49152,  orSCOOO  hexadecimal)  until  you 
call  for  it. 

Using  64  Searcher 

Enter  the  program  carefully  and  save  it  on  tape  or 

102    COMPUTE I's.  Gazette    September  1983 


disk  before  running  it  for  the  first  time.  The 
machine  language  is  encoded  in  the  DATA  state- 
ments, and  one  typing  error  may  well  cause  your 
computer  to  "lock  up"  (stop  responding).  If  this 
happens,  you'll  have  to  clear  the  computer  by 
switching  it  off  and  on,  which  also  clears  the  mem- 
ory. If  you've  saved  the  program,  you  can  then 
load  it  and  begin  hunting  for  the  typing  mistake. 
Now,  load  in  the  BASIC  program  you  want 
to  search  (remember,  64  Searcher  is  still  present 
in  protected  memory).  To  use  64  Searcher,  type  a 
dummy  BASIC  line  u,  followed  by  a  colon,  fol- 
lowed by  whatever  you  want  to  find.  For  instance, 
let's  say  you  want  to  delete  all  REM  statements 
from  a  program  to  save  memory.  You  want  to 
find  every  occurrence  of  REM.  You  would  type: 

0:REM 

Press  RETURN.  Now,  type  SYS  49152.  Press 
RETURN.  In  a  few  moments,  64  Searcher  will  list 
all  line  numbers  where  REM  appears  in  your 
BASIC  program. 

To  find  all  occurrences  of  a  certain  variable, 
such  as  X$,  you  would  follow  the  same  procedure: 

0:  X$    [press  RETURN] 

SYS  49152     [and  press  RETURN] 

You  can  use  64  Searcher  to  find  any  character 
or  string  of  characters  in  your  programs.  The  only 
limitation  is  that  the  SYS  command  must  be  ex- 
ecuted in  immediate  mode;  that  is,  it  cannot  be  used 
within  a  program. 

If  you  do  much  programming,  you  should 
find  64  Searcher  a  welcome  addition  to  your  tool- 
box of  utilities. 

See  program  list  lag  on  i>a$e  723.  © 


DES-SOFT 

ilivivion  «l  DaI'ii  l.cujipmi'nr  Supply  (un> 


TH 


Quality  Software  For  Commodore7'  Computers 

Vic-20-      Commodore"       Pet  4064-       C-128"       B-700" 

•J^*  Space  Trail 


4* 


OP. 


in  the  distant  Galaxy  of  Omeda  the  space  merchant  union  holds 
'•  the  power.  In  their  mighty  ships,  they  reap  the  rewards  of  in 
•f<  terstellar  trade.  As  a  new  member  of  the  union.  You  must  ply  your 
4 trade  and  amass  a  fortune  to  finance  your  search  for  the  lost 

planet  Alantia.  which  when  found  will  bring  untold  weath  to  the 

first  union  member  to  land  there.  First  class  adventure  for  hours 

of  play. 

VIC  version  1  to  4  players  64  version  1  to  6  piayers 

VIC-20  w/16K  Exp.  cassette  -  $39.95 

Commodore  64  cassette  -  $39.95.  disk  -  $42.95 

This  and  other  great  games  arid  programs  are  available  from  DES-SOFT.  home  of  . 
BONZO,  HOPPER,  LASER  COMMAND  and  many  other  programs  for  Commodore  Computers. 


Dealers  invited 


(213)  "23-9361 


See  your  LOCAL  DEALER  for  our  Programs 
Software  Distribution  Available- 


DES  -  Data  Equipment  Supply  Corp. 
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CARD"?"  CARD/PRINT 
$76.00 

Universal  Centronics  Parallel  Printer 
Interlace  for  the  VIC-20"  or  CBM-64 
Use  any  parallel  printer  with  your 
VIC-20'  or  CBM-64. 

CARDBOARD  3 

Economy  expansion  interface  tor  the 
VIC-201 

CARDBOARDS 
$87.50 

An  expansion  interface  for  the  VIC-20" 
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CARDETTE, 
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Use  any  standard  cassette  player/re- 
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WICHITA,  KS  67201 
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Prices  suhiecT  lo  change 


PROGR€CriV€ 
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THE  AUTO  CLOCK1 


A  TRUE  MULTI-FUNCTION  CARD. 

*  Switch  your  VIC-20. 64  or  other  AC  devices  on 
and  olt  under  software  control 

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•  2K  CMOS  battery  Dacked  up  RAM 

*  Menu  driven  sohwaro 

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•  Cartridge  style  case 

*  19  user  accessible  suttrouiines 

•  20  page  illustrated  manual  wi|h  delated 
programming  examptes. 

AUTO  CLOCK   S129.9S 


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•  Vour  success  m  Golhmog  s  Lair  will  depend  on 
your  skill  and  resourcefulness   NOT  on  pure  fuck 

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GOTHMOG  5  LAIR      .    cassette  version  —  S39  95 
diskette  version  —  539  95 


DEALER  INQUIRIES  INVITED 
ORDER  FROM: 
PROGRESSIVE  PERIPHERALS  4  SOFTWARE 

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Lakewood.  Colorado   80226 
<303]  77B-1312 


E 


CARDRAM16 

1 6  K  Memory  Expansion 

Cartridge  for  the  VIC-20" 

Personal  Computer 

FEATURES: 

•  Provides   trie   equivalent   of   two 
8K  RAM  cartridges. 

•  Each  SK  is  individually  switch  se- 
lectable by  block. 

•  Opening  in  case  to  provide  easy 
switch  access. 

•  Uses  8  low  power  CMOS  2K  x  8 
static  RAM  chips. 

•  High  quality  glass/epoxy  circuit 
board. 

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•  Made  in  the  U.S.A. 

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TO  ORDER 
P  Q  BOX  768 
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VIC-20"  is  a  rogislcrnd  Irademark  of  Commodore 
Pncos  subi^r  i  lo  change 


September  1983    COMPUTEI's  Gazette    103 


HINTS&TIPS 


Better 

Commodore 

Input 

Mark  Walsh 

If  you've  discovered  a  clever  lime-saving  technique,  or  a  brief 
but  effective  programming  shortcut,  send  it  in  to  "Hints  & 
Tips,"  do  COMPUTEI's  Gazette  for  Commodore.  If  we  use 
it,  we'll  pay  you  $35. 

I  have  read  several  articles  recently  about  im- 
proving the  INPUT  feature  in  Commodore  I5AS1C. 
One  of  the  main  points  brought  up  in  these  articles 
was  that  the  BASIC  INPUT  statement  always 
prompts  the  user  with  a  question  mark.  This  can 
be  confusing,  especially  when  the  prompt  or  in- 
struction to  the  user  is  not  a  question.  I  have  come 
across  a  method  of  inputting  data  without  the 
question  mark  in  the  prompt. 

This  technique  involves  tricking  the  computer 
into  thinking  that  it  is  receiving  data  from  a 
peripheral.  This  uses  methods  similar  to  reading 
data  from  a  disk  drive  or  a  cassette  recorder. 

The  first  step  is  to  OPEN  a  file  and  provide 
the  INPUT  from  there.  This  is  done  as  follows: 

10  OPEN  1,0 

This  tells  the  computer  that  file  number  1  will  be 
communicating  with  the  keyboard.  The  computer 
knows  this  because  the  device  number  of  the 
keyboard  is  0. 

Now  if  you  wish  to  INPUT  something  from 
the  keyboard,  but  don't  want  the  question  mark 
to  be  displayed,  simply  use  the  INPUT#  com- 
mand. The  INPUT#  command  is  used  to  request 
input  from  an  opened  file,  in  this  case  the 
keyboard.  The  format  for  this  procedure  is  dem- 
onstrated in  the  following  example: 

10  OPEN  1,0:  REM  SET  COMPUTER  TO  READ 

DATA  EROM  KEYBOARD 
20  PRINT  "  INPUT  YOUR  NAME  HERE:";:  1NPUT#1, 

AS 

This  will  print  the  following  on  the  screen  and 
wait  for  a  response: 

INPUT  YOUR  NAME  HERE:  ■ 

104     COMPUTES'*  Gazette    Seplember  1983 


One  drawback  to  this  type  of  INPUT'  is  that 
the  computer  does  not  PRINT  a  carriage  return 
after  you  input  your  data.  This  can  be  overcome 
by  adding  an  extra  PRINT  statement  after  the 
I NPUT#  command. 

Here  is  a  short  sample  program  to  show  you 
how  to  use  this  INPUT  method: 
10   OPEN   1,0 
20    PRINT"    ENTER   YOUR    FIRST    NAME;  ",-:  INPUT* 

1,N1$: PRINT 
30    PRINT"    ENTER    YOUR    LAST    NAME  :  "  ;  .-  INPUTll 

,N2S:PRINT 
40    PRINT"    YOUR    NAME    IS    "Nl$"     "N2$ 
50    CLOSE1 
60    END 

Notice  that  we  use  the  CLOSE  1  statement  at  the 
end  of  the  program.  This  CLOSEs  the  file  that  we 
used  to  INPUT  the  data. 

Using  this  INPUT  method  allows  us  to  input 
data  into  the  computer  without  the  question  mark 
showing  up  on  the  screen.  This  method  will  come 
in  handy  when  you  want  neat,  professional- 
looking  programs  that  won't  confuse  the  user 
with  a  question  mark  when  there  is  no  question.  (g| 


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WITH  YOUR  VIC-20® 

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No  longer  are  you  restricted  to 
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add  a  CARDETTE  and  you  can  use 
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The  CARDETTE  comes  with  ail 
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(316)263.1095 


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Prices  subject  to  change 


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£*:  commodore 

CALL 


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VIC  1011  RS232C  TERMINAL  INTERFACE. 
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TMS4016  2kx8  STATIC  RAM  (or  equivalent) 

minimum  purchase  of  4 each  $3.95 

VIC  MODEM $89.95 


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SOFTWARE  FOR  THE  VlC-20 

WORD  PROCESSING. 


ADVANCED  WORD  PROCESSING  - 
MAILING  LISTS 


■  $23.00 

■  $32.00 
$20.00 


SOFTWARE  FOR  THE  COM-64 

WORD  PROCESSING 

MAILING  LISTS 


.$38.00 


$20.00 


Call  for  other  software  Hems.  MICROWARE,  TOTL.  H.E.S,  UNITED  MICRO,  EPYX  and  CREATIVE  SOFTWARE  can  be  purchased  from 

us  (or  up  lo  a  25%  discount. 

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VIC  SOFTWARE 


Avenger $23 

Superslol $23 

Super  Alien $23 

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Clowns , $23 

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Mission  Impossible $29 

The  Count , $29 

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Bingo  Speed  Math $23 

Home  Baby  Sitter $23 

Visible  Solar  System $23 

Personal  Finance $29 


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«   Operator   #649 


Using  The  Function  Keys 

A  BASIC  Tutorial 


Charles  Brannon,  Program  Editor 


Perhaps  you've  pressed  those  function  keys  to 
the  right  of  the  keyboard  and  were  dismayed 
to  find  they  did  nothing.  Don't  worry,  they 
work  fine;  they  just  need  a  program  to  "come 
alive."  With  this  tutorial,  you'll  find  it's  easy 
to  write  your  own  programs  using  function 
keys. 


One  day,  somebody  had  a  good  idea.  There  were 
dozens  of  programs:  word  processors,  spread- 
sheets, data  bases,  and  they  all  required  you  to 
press  certain  keys  to  perform  the  various  func- 
tions. For  example,  a  word  processor  would  save 
your  text  to  disk  with  CTRL-S  (meaning  to  hold 
down  a  special  ConTRoL  key  while  you  press  S). 
The  arrow  keys  that  move  the  cursor  were  among 
the  first  "function  keys";  they  replaced  various 
CTRL-keys  that  did  the  same  thing. 

Mystery  Keys 

So  someone  added  a  number  of  mysterious  keys 
to  a  computer  keyboard.  Dedicated  (used  only  for 
one  task)  word  processors  have  special  labelled 
keys  to  cut,  paste,  copy,  edit,  etc.  Since  computers 
are  general-purpose,  the  keys  had  to  be  unlabelled 
so  every  application  could  do  something  different 
with  the  keys.  The  idea  caught  on.  These  days, 
function  keys  are  the  rage.  You  can  hardly  buy  a 
computer  without  them. 

Special,  set-aside,  unlabelled  function  keys 
are  defined  by  whatever  program  is  currently 
running.  Frequently,  programmers  assign  power- 
ful functions  to  the  keys.  This  gives  the  user  a 
feeling  of  power  -  pressing  one  key  unleashes 

106    COMPUTEt's  Gazette    September  1983 


raw  computing  power.  Of  course,  it's  a  gimmick 
of  sorts;  it  would  be  just  as  easy  to  assign  the  func- 
tion to  the  normally  unused  CTRL  keys  (and  link 
them  in  an  easy-to-remember  fashion,  such  as 
CTRL-Q  for  Quit,  CTRL-E  to  Erase,  etc.).  There  is 
undeniable  convenience,  however,  in  having 
your  own  special  "programmable"  keys. 

The  Sad  Truth 

Fundamentally,  the  function  keys  are  no  different 
from  any  other  key  on  the  keyboard,  so  it  is  as 
unrealistic  to  assume  they'll  always  do  something 
as  it  is  to  think  that  pressing  the  fire  button  on  the 
joystick  will  always  fire  a  shot.  If  you've  used  the 
joystick,  you  know  that  it  tells  you  only  which 
way  the  player  is  pushing  (north,  south,  east, 
west,  or  diagonal)  and  whether  the  fire  button  is 
pressed  or  not.  Period.  You  have  to  write  (or  buy) 
special  programs  that  move  the  spaceship  based 
on  the  position  of  the  joystick. 

The  function  keys  on  the  VIC-20  and  Commo- 
dore 64  are  the  same.  When  you  run  commercial 
software,  the  keys  do  everything  from  changing 
border  colors  to  shifting  the  screen,  selecting  dif- 
ficulty, restarting  a  game,  etc.  If  you  buy  the  Super 
Expansion  Cartridge,  the  keys  will  type  out  certain 
BASIC  commands  for  you.  You  can  do  the  same 
thing  with  a  program  in  this  issue  for  the  Commo- 
dore 64.  The  November  1982  issue  of  COMPUTE! 
has  a  similar  article  for  the  VIC  ("Programming 
VIC's  Function  Keys"),  and  you'll  see  more  such 
ready-to-use  applications  in  these  pages  in  up- 
coming issues.  But  the  real  power  comes  when 
you  understand  how  to  use  them  in  your  own 
programs. 


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Standard  Terminal  Communications  Package 

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V  •  Upload/Download  10/trom  D«sk 
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ATARI  AND  PET 
EPROM  PROGRAMMER 

Programs  271B  and  2532 
EPHOMs.  Includes  hardware 
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(or  VIC 


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v  AND  CBM  64  RABBIT  CARTRIDGE 

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12  Commands  provide  other  neat  reaiuras. 
Fast  Data  Files  -  two  data  0a  modes. 
Alio  Available  for  £001. 4001,  and  8032. 


More  than  just  an  Assembler/Editor! 
Now  for  the  "64"  A 

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TRAP  65  is  a  harttwaic  deuce  trial 

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pocutiar  syntaiias  and  commands  wnon  you  go 
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Commodore  64 S41 9.95 

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Gemini  15 $536.95 

24K  Golden  Ram $149.24 

Vic  Rabbit S39.95 

Wico  Joystick $22.50 

Wico  Joystick  "Red  Ball"   $25.00 

HES  Sound  Box S12.50 

BOOKS 

Commodore  Reference  Guide  $19.50 

VIC  Reference  Guide  $16.50 

1st  Book  of  VIC $9.50 

2nd  Book  of  VIC $12.95 

1st  Book  of  Commodore  64    $12.95 
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GETting  To  The  Point 

The  primary  BASIC  command  used  to  read  the 
keyboard  is  GET.  When  you  type  GET  followed 
by  a  variable  name  (GET  A$  or  GET  XZ),  the  com- 
puter looks  at  the  keyboard  and  puts  whatever 
key  is  being  pressed  into  the  variable.  But  it  looks 
only  once,  and  if  you  didn't  press  a  key,  the  com- 
puter merrily  goes  on  to  something  else.  GET  will 
not  wait  for  a  key  to  be  pressed.  This  is  a  good 
feature;  but  if  you  do  want  to  wait  for  a  key,  you 
would  do  something  like: 

10  GET  AS 

20  IF  AS  =  ""  THEN  10 

or 
10  GET  N 
20  IF  N=0  THEN  10 

The  phrase:  IF  AS=  "  "  means:  if  A-string 
equals  the  null  string  (nothing  is  between  the 
quotes;  it's  just  two  quotes  in  a  row),  then  go  back 
to  line  10.  So  as  long  as  no  key  is  pressed,  line  20 
will  keep  sending  the  computer  back  to  line  10  to 
check  again.  The  second  example  is  watting  for 
you  to  press  a  number  key  from  1-9  (it  uses  0  to 
mean  no  key  pressed,  so  pressing  0  won't  make  it 
stop  waiting).  This  type  of  GET  command  used 
with  a  numeric  variable  (instead  of  a  string)  is 
dangerous,  though.  If  the  user  presses  any  other 
key,  the  program  will  crash  (stop  running  and 
return  to  BASIC)  with  a  ?SYNTAX  ERROR  mes- 
sage. It's  just  as  easy  to  convert  a  string  into  a 
number  with  the  VAL  command,  so  the  second 
statement  could  be  rephrased: 
10  get  NS 

20    IF    N$=""    THEN    10 
30    N=VAL(N$) 

It's  easy  to  improve;  if  you  wanted  to  accept 
only  numbers  above,  you  could  change  line  20  to: 

20    IF    N?<"0"    OR   N$>"9"    THEN    10 

which  means:  if  N-string  has  an  ASCII  value  (a 
code  used  in  your  computer  to  order  characters  - 
A,  which  has  an  ASCII  value  of  65  is  "less  than" 
Z,  which  has  an  ASCII  code  of  90)  less  than  that 
of  "0"  or  greater  than  that  of  the  character  "9" 
then  loop  back  to  line  10. 

Incidentally,  the  ASCII  code  for  the  null  siring 
(quote-quote)  is  zero,  which  is  less  than  48,  the 
code  for  "0",  so  the  loop  will  also  wait  for  a  key. 
If  you're  curious  about  ASCII,  check  out  the  BASIC 
commands  ASC  and  CI  IR$  in  your  manual.  You 
can  also  find  a  table  of  the  ASCII  codes  and  their 
character  equivalents  in  your  user's  guide. 

Strictly  Logical? 

So  if  you  just  want  to  accept  a  yes  or  no  answer  (Y 
for  yes,  N  for  No),  then  this  will  work  just  fine: 

10    GET   AS:  IF   A?<>"Y*'    AND   A$<>"N"    THEN    10 

Computer  logic  with  IF/THEN,  AND,  OR,  and 
NOT  can  get  a  bit  tricky,  so  let  me  explain  this  line. 

108    COMPUmSGoielte    September  1 983 


The  computer  will  GET  a  key  and  put  it  into  A$. 
Remember  that  the  user  may  not  have  pressed  the 
key  yet,  so  AS  could  be  any  key,  or  it  could  be  the 
null  string  ("  ").  In  the  latter  case,  the  null  string  is 
not  equal  to  "Y"  and  it  is  not  equal  to  "N",  so  it  will 
loop  back  lo  10.  If  you  pressed  "X",  it  will  also  loop. 
But  if  you  pressed  "Y",  A$  would  be  equal  to  "Y" 
(meaning  A$<>"Y"  is  false)  but  it  would  not  equal 
"N"  (A$<>"N"  is  true).  Since  both  conditions  are 
not  true,  AND  fails,  and  the  program  continues.  A 
common  mistake  would  be: 
10    GET   AS;IF   AS<>"Y"    OR  A$<>"N"    THEN    10 

This  would  loop  back  to  line  10  no  matter 
what  key  was  pressed.  If  either  A$  did  not  equal 
"Y"  or  AS  did  not  equal  "N",  then  the  computer 
would  loop.  The  only  way  for  the  test  to  fail  would 
be  for  A$  to  be  "not  equal"  to  "Y"  and  "not  equal" 
to  "N";  in  other  words,  it  would  have  to  be  both 
equal  to  "Y"  and  equal  to  "N".  I  told  you  it  was 
tricky!  By  the  way,  another  common  mistake  is 
something  like: 

10    GET    AS: IF    A$<>"Y"    AND    <>  "N"    THEN    10 

This  will  give  you  a  7SYNTAX  ERROR,  but  it  seems 
to  read  all  right  in  English.  It's  just  that  the  computer 
requires  you  to  repeat  the  variable  for  each  <>, 
<,>,=,  etc. 

If  you've  tried  some  of  the  examples,  you'll 
find  that  GET  only  changes  the  value  of  the  variable. 
It  does  not  print  the  key  on  the  screen.  This  is  also 
handy;  you  don't  want  a  bunch  of  keys  printed  out 
just  to  move  your  spaceship  using  the  keyboard. 
To  make  a  simple  "video  typewriter,"  try  this  (re- 
member the  semicolon  on  line  20): 

10  GET  X$:IF  X$=""  THEN  10 
20  PRINT  X$;:GOTO  10 

On  To  Great  Frontiers 

We're  nearly  ready  to  use  the  function  keys.  Try 
this:  press  the  quote  (SH11T-2)  and  then  press  the 
function  keys  (SHIFT  to  get  the  even-numbered 
keys).  What  magic  is  this?  Each  key  now  seems  to 
print  some  cryptic  symbol!  The  computer  can  read 
the  function  keys  just  like  any  other  key,  but 
PRINTing  them  won't  display  anything  unless  you 
are  in  quote  mode  (where  you  can  program  cursor 
controls  into  PRINT  statements).  But  you  can  take 
advantage  of  the  symbols  to  easily  interpret  the 
function  keys.  You  use  GET  to  read  them,  of  course. 
Trv  this  program: 

10  GET  F$:IF  F$=" "  THEN  10 

20  IF  FS="EF1)"  THEN  PRINT"FUNCTION  ONE" 
30  IF  FS="[F2}"  THEN  PRINT"FUNCTION  TWO" 
40  IF  FS="(F3)"  THEN  PRINT"FUNCTION  THRE 

E" 
50  IF  FS="[F4}"  THEN  PRINT"FUNCTION  FOUR 

II 

60  IF  FS="{F5)"  THEN  PRINT"OOOl  FUNCTION 
FIVE1" 


70  IF  F$="tF6j"  THEN  PRINT "FUNCTION  SIX 

80  IF  F$="{F7}"  THEN  PRINT"FUNCTION  SEVE 

N" 

90  IF  F$="(F8}"  THEN  PRINT "FUNCTION  EIGH 

The  {Fl},  {F2},  etc.,  means  for  you  to  press 
the  appropriate  function  key  inside  the  quotes. 
You'll  get  the  aforementioned  symbols.  Line  70 
(printed  on  the  1525e  printer)  would  look  like: 

7Q  IF  F£="a"  THEN  PRINT  "FUNCTION  SIX" 

Line  60  is  just  to  remind  you  that  every  program 
has  a  spark  of  spontaneity.  What  will  you  do  with 
the  function  keys?  It's  really  up  to  you.  For  example, 
to  restart  a  game,  you  might  do  something  like  this: 

530    PRINT"PRESS   Fl    TO    PLAY   AGAIN" 
540    GET    A$:IF    A$o"[flJ"    THEN    540 

You  could  also  organize  a  bunch  of  subroutines, 
one  for  each  key,  that  does  something  associated 
with  the  key  (maybe  eight  sound  effects): 

10  GET  RQ$:IF  RQ$=""  THEN  10 
20  IF  RQ?="{fl)"  THEN  GOSUB  500 

90  IF  RQ$="tf8}"  THEN  GOSUB  1000 

Each  function  key  also  has  a  corresponding 
ASCII  number.  Try  this  program.  It  prints  out  the 
ASCII  (ordered)  value  for  any  key  pressed: 

10  GET  AS:  IF  A?=""  THEN  10 


20  PRINT  CHR$(34);A$,VAL(A$) 
30  GOTO  10 

The  CHR$(34)  puts  the  computer  in  quote 
mode  so  that  if  you  press  CLR/HOME  or  some- 
thing, you'll  see  the  symbol  for  it  instead  of  the 
screen  clearing. 

Here  is  a  summary  of  the  ASCII  values  for 
the  function  keys: 


ft:  133 
f3:  134 
f5:  135 
f7:  136 


i2:  137 
f4:  138 
f6:  139 

fS:  140 


They're  in  order  from  fl-f7,  and  f2-f8,  separately. 
So  you  could  use  a  statement  like  this  to  check 
for  f6: 

342    IF    FS=CHR$(139)    THEN   PRINT    "Function 
Six" 

or 

659  IF  ASC{F$)=139  THEN  GOSUB  4153 

See  how  CHR$  and  ASC  work? 

You  Take  It  From  Here 

Now  that  you've  got  the  word  on  function  keys, 
you  can  start  making  your  programs  "user 
friendly"  too.  And  you  can  share  a  double  feeling 
of  power:  not  only  does  pressing  one  key  raise  - 
your  garage  door,  put  out  the  cat,  and  make  coffee 
in  the  morning,  but  you  also  know  that  you're  the 
one  that  made  it  do  it.  83 


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September  1983    COMPUTES'!  Gazette     109 


A  Beginner's  Guide 
To  Typing  In  Programs 


What  Is  A  Program? 

A  computer  cannot  perform  any  task  by  itself. 
Like  a  car  without  gas,  a  computer  has  potential, 
but  without  a  program,  it  isn't  going  anywhere. 
Most  of  the  programs  published  in  COMPUTERS 
Gazette  for  Commodore  are  written  in  a  computer 
language  called  BASIC.  BASIC  is  easy  to  learn 
and  is  built  into  all  VIC-20s  and  Commodore  64s. 

BASIC  Programs 

Each  month,  COMPUTE!'*  Gazette  for  Commodore 
publishes  programs  for  both  the  VIC  and  64.  To 
start  out,  type  in  only  programs  written  for  your 
machine,  e.g.,  "VIC  Version"  if  you  have  a  VIC-20. 
Later,  when  you  gain  experience  with  your  com- 
puter's BASIC,  you  can  try  typing  in  and  converting 
certain  programs  from  another  computer  to  yours. 

Computers  can  be  picky.  Unlike  the  English 
language,  which  is  full  of  ambiguities,  BASIC  usu- 
ally has  only  one  "right  way"  of  stating  something. 
Every  letter,  character,  or  number  is  significant.  A 
common  mistake  is  substituting  a  letter  such  as 
"O"  for  the  numeral  "0",  a  lowercase  "I"  for  the 
numeral  "\" ,  or  an  uppercase  "B"  for  the  numeral 
"8".  Also,  you  must  enter  all  punctuation  such  as 
colons  and  commas  just  as  they  appear  in  the 
magazine.  Spacing  can  be  important.  To  be  safe, 
type  in  the  listings  exactly  as  they  appear. 

Brackets  And  Special  Characters 

The  exception  to  this  typing  rule  is  when  you  see 
the  curved  bracket,  such  as  "{DOWN}".  Any- 
thing within  a  set  of  brackets  is  a  special  character 
or  characters  that  cannot  easily  be  listed  on  a  print- 
er. When  you  come  across  such  a  special  state- 
ment, refer  to  "How  To  Type  In  COMPUTEl's 
Gazet te  Programs." 

About  DATA  Statements 

Some  programs  contain  a  section  or  sections  of 
DATA  statements.  These  lines  provide  information 
needed  by  the  program.  Some  DATA  statements 
contain  actual  programs  (called  machine  language); 
others  contain  graphics  codes.  These  lines  are  espe- 
cially sensitive  to  errors. 

If  a  single  number  in  any  one  DATA  statement 
is  mistyped,  your  machine  could  "lock  up,"  or 
"crash/'  The  keyboard  and  STOP  key  may  seem 
"dead,"  and  the'  screen  may  go  blank.  Don't  panic 
-  no  damage  is  done.  To  regain  control,  you  have 

1 1 0    COMPUTE!  's  Gazette    September  1 983 


to  turn  off  your  computer,  then  turn  it  back  on. 
'Hi is  will  erase  whatever  program  was  in  memory, 
so  always  SAVE  a  copy  of  your  program  before  you  RUN 
it.  If  your  computer  crashes,  you  can  LOAD  the 
program  and  look  for  your  mistake. 

Sometimes  a  mistyped  DATA  statement  will 
cause  an  error  message  when  the  program  is  RUN. 
The  error  message  may  refer  to  the  program  line 
that  READs  the  data.  The  error  is  still  in  the  DATA 
statements,  though. 

Get  To  Know  Your  Machine 

You  should  familiarize  yourself  with  your  com- 
puter before  attempting  to  type  in  a  program. 
Learn  the  statements  you  use  to  store  and  retrieve 
programs  from  tape  or  disk.  You'll  want  to  save  a 
copy  of  your  program,  so  that  you  won't  have  to 
type  it  in  every  lime  you  want  to  use  it.  Learn  to 
use  your  machine's  editing  functions,  How  do 
you  change  a  line  if  you  made  a  mistake?  You  can 
always  retype  the  line,  but  you  at  least  need  to 
know  how  to  backspace.  Do  you  know  how  to 
enter  inverse  video,  lowercase,  and  control  char- 
acters? It's  all  explained  in  your  computer's 
manuals. 

A  Quick  Review 

1)  Type  in  the  program  a  line  at  a  time,  in  order. 
Press  RETURN  at  the  end  of  each  line.  Use  back- 
space or  the  back  arrow  to  correct  mistakes. 

2)  Check  the  line  you've  typed  against  the  line  in 
the  magazine.  You  can  check  the  entire  program 
again  if  you  get  an  error  when  you  RUN  the 
program. 

3)  Make  sure  you've  entered  statements  in  brack- 
ets as  the  appropriate' control  key  (see  "How  To 
Type  COMPUTEl's  Gazette  Programs"  elsewhere 
in  the  magazine.) 


We  regret  thai  we  are  not  ableto  respond  to  individual 
inquiries  about  programs,  products,  or  services  ap- 
pearing in  COMPUTEl's  Gazette  for  Commodore 

due  to  increasing  publication  activity.  On  those  in- 
frequent occasions  when  a  published  program  contains 
a  typo,  the  correction  teill  appear  in  the  magazine, 
usually  within  eight  weeks.  If  you  have  specific 
questions  about  items  or  programs  which  you've  seen 
in  COMPUTEl's  Gazette /or  Commodore,  please 
send  them  to  Gazette  Feedback,  P.O.  Box  5406, 
Greensboro,  NC  27403. 


How  To  Type  In 
COMPUTERS  Gazette  Programs 


Many  of  the  programs  which  are  listed  in  COM- 
PUTEl's  Gazette  contain  special  control  characters 
{cursor  control,  color  keys,  inverse  video,  etc.). 
To  make  it  easy  to  know  exactly  what  to  type  when 
entering  one  of  these  programs  into  your  com- 
puter, we  have  established  the  following  listing 
conventions. 

Generally,  any  VIC-20  or  Commodore  64 
program  listings  will  contain  bracketed  words 
which  spell  out  any  special  characters:  {DOWN] 
would  mean  to  press  the  cursor  down  key.  [5 
SPACES)  would  mean  to  press  the  space  bar  five 
times. 

To  indicate  that  a  key  should  be  shifted  (hold 
down  the  SHIFT  key  while  pressing  the  other 
key),  the  key  would  be  underlined  in  our  listings. 
For  example,  S  would  mean  to  type  the  S  key 
while  holding  the  shift  key.  This  would  appear 
on  your  screen  as  a  "heart"  symbol.  If  you  find 
an  underlined  key  enclosed  in  braces  (e.g.,  {10 
N  }),  you  should  type  the  key  as  many  times  as 
indicated  (in  our  example,  you  would  enter  ten 
shifted  N's). 

If  a  key  is  enclosed  in  special  brackets,  M, 
you  should  hold  down  the  Commodore  key  while 
pressing  the  key  inside  the  special  brackets.  (The 
Commodore  key  is  the  key  in  the  lower  left  corner 
of  the  keyboard.)  Again,  if  the  key  is  preceded  by 
a  number,  you  should  press  the  key  as  many  times 
as  necessary. 

Rarely,  you'll  see  a  solitary  letter  of  the  al- 
phabet enclosed  in  braces.  These  characters  can 
be  entered  on  the  Commodore  64  by  holding  down 


the  CTRL  key  while  typing  the  letter  in  the  braces. 
For  example,  {A  J  would  indicate  that  you  should 
press  CTRL- A.  You  should  never  have  to  enter 
such  a  character  on  the  VIC- 20,  but  if  you  do,  you 
would  have  to  leave  the  quote  mode  (press  RE- 
TURN and  cursor  back  up  to  the  position  where 
the  control  character  should  go),  press  CTRL-9 
(RVS  ON),  the  letter  in  braces,  and  then  CTRL-0 
{RVS  OFF). 

About  ihctjtiote  mode:  you  know  that  you  can 
move  the  cursor  around  the  screen  with  the  CRSR 
keys.  Sometimes  a  programmer  will  want  to  move 
the  cursor  under  program  control.  That's  why 
you  see  all  the  {LEFT}'s,  (HOME)'s,  and 
{BLU}'s  in  our  programs.  The  only  way  the  com- 
puter can  tell  the  difference  between  direct  and 
programmed  cursor  control  is  the  quote  mode. 

Once  you  press  the  quote  (the  double  quote, 
SHIFT-2),  you  are  in  the  quote  mode.  If  you  type 
something  and  then  try  to  change  it  by  moving 
the  cursor  left,  you'll  only  get  a  bunch  of  reverse- 
video  lines.  These  are  the  symbols  for  cursor  left. 
The  only  editing  key  that  isn't  programmable  is 
the  DEL  key;  you  can  still  use  DEL  to  back  up  and 
edit  the  line.  Once  you  type  another  quote,  you 
are  out  of  quote  mode. 

You  also  go  into  quote  mode  when  you  1N- 
SerT  spaces  into  a  line.  In  any  case,  the  easiest 
way  to  get  out  of  quote  mode  is  to  just  press  RE- 
TURN. You'll  then  be  out  of  quote  mode  and  you 
can  cursor  up  to  the  mistyped  line  and  fix  it. 

Use  the  following  table  when  entering  cursor 
and  color  control  kevs: 


When  You  Read 

:      Press: 

See: 

When  You  Read 

Press; 

See: 

When  You  Read: 

Press: 

See: 

[CLEAR} 

ETTTH  MWiiMJU 

c 

(CYN) 

EE1 0 

k 

§73 

an 

□ 

t HOME J 

fiH:M!M!,U 

E3 

JPUR) 

cm  □ 

m 

183 

an 

■  H 

■  ■ 

Eup) 

t-  it  tiH-mii 

□ 

[grn) 

UH1  tl 

□ 

iFl) 

OD 

[dowhJ 

CESID 

ID 

iBLU] 

I4i:'l  Q 

Q 

{F2) 

GS 

z 

[LEFT) 

EH3  S3SB 

II 

[YEL) 

13E1  o 

53 

(F3) 

riT: 

(RIGHT) 

B'ivEl 

H 

EU 

HD 

E3 

(F4) 

fJT! 

is 

[RVS) 

f  41:11  f) 

ED 

823 

HO 

15 

!F5) 

tin 

ii 

[OFF) 

dS  Q 

■ 

£33. 

BQ 

89 

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COMPUTESs 
First  Book  Of  VIC 


The  newest  title  in  COMPUTERS  First  Book  series... 

Our  first  Book  of  VIC  contains  the  best  of  our  VIC  articles  and  applications 
published  since  the  summer  of  1981.  In  one  convenient  spiral  bound  volume, 
you'll  find  approximately  200  pages  of  information. 


□  Chapter  4:  Color  and  Graphics 

□  Chapter  5:  Maps  and  Specifications 

□  Chapter  6:  Machine  Language 


□  Chapter  1:  Getting  Started 

□  Chapter  2:  Diversions  —  Recreation 
and  Education 

□  Chapter  3:  Programming  Techniques 

In  addition  to  material  previously  published  in  COMPUTE!,  several  of  the  articles 
and  programs  including  a  screen  print  program,  append,  tutorials  on  screen 
formatting  and  keyboard  input  and  others,  are  being  published  for  the  first  time 

Order  your  copy  of  COMPUTEI's  First  Book  Of  VIC  today  by  calling  TOLL  FREE; 

800-334-0868 

III  NG  Call  919-37S-9809 

$12.95  plus  S3  shipping  and  handling.  MasterCard,  Visa,  and  American  Express  accepted,  or 
send  your  check  or  money  order  to:  COMPUTE!  Books,  P.O.  Box  5406,  Greensboro,  NO  37403. 
US  funds  only.  Foreign  order  add  88  for  air  mail,  $3  for  surface  delivery. 


Demon  Star 


BEFORE  TYPING... 
Before  typing  in  programs,  please  refer  to  "How 
To  Type  COMPUTE! 's  Gazette  Programs"  and 
"A  Beginner's  Guide  To  Typing  In  Programs" 
that  appear  before  the  Program  Listings. 


Program  1 :  Demon  Star  -  VIC  Version 
(Main  Program) 

1  POKE36879, 2  53; PRINT" {CLR] WAIT" 

2  P=28  s  POKE56 , P  :  POKES 2 , P : POKES 1 , PEEK (55) 
:CLR 

3  FORI=7168T07679 : POKEI , PEEK{ 1+32768-716 
8) :NEXT 

4  GPEN1,1,0, "DF" 

5  INPUT#1,X:IFX=999THEN7 

6  FORJ=XTOX+7 : INPUTf 1 , Y: POKEJ , Y : NEXT ; GOT 
05:DIMMX%(2,2) ,0%(4) 

7  CLOSE! :PT=0:BB=1 000: INPUT  "LEVEL  (1-10 
) ";SKiIFSK<lORSK>10THEN7 

8  D0=37154;D1=D0-3:D2=D0-2:CD=30720:C=22 
: R=2  3  s  SP=3  2  :  FL=0 : RG=8 

9  V=36878:VN=V-1:VS=V-2:E=42 

10  FORI=0TO2  :  FORJ=0TO2  :  SP=SP+1 :  MX%  ( I ,  J  )=» 
SP:NEXTJ, I:SP=32 

11  DEFFNA(W)=7680+X+C*Y;DEFFNB(W)=PEEK(F 
NA(W) } :DEFFNR(W)=INT(RND(1 }*W) 

12  PRINT"! CLR] ": POKEV+3, 128: POKEV+1, 14 :P 
OKEV-9,255 

1 3  FORI=0TO3 : 0% ( I ) =E : E=E+1 :  NEXT  :  K=4 : FORH 
=0TO3;FORJ=1TO(3*SK) :GOSUB70 

14  POKERP,0%(H) :P0KERC,K:NEXTJ:K=K+1;NEX 
TH 

15  MC=0 :MR=-1 iSX=3 ; SY=22 ; SH=8167 : POKESH, 
36:POKESH+CD,3 

16  F0RT=1 28T024STEP-1 : POKEV+3 , T : F0RD=1T0 
10:NEXTD,T:FORH=1TO1000:NEXT 

17  PRINT" [HOME] £WHT]"PT"£BLU) " : IFFL=0AND 
FNR{10)=3THEN63 

18  IFFL=2THENPRINT" { HOME }{ DOWN ] [GRN}  " ; R 
IGHT$ (TI $ , 2 ) ; " ( BLU } " : IFTI >  700THEN72 

20  GOSUB60  j IFFBTHENX=SX : Y=SY ; PX=MC : PY=MR 
: GOTO 3 4 

21  U=0;W=0:IFJ0THENU=1 

22  IFJ2THENU=-1 

23  IFJlTHENW=l 

24  IFJ3THENW=-1 

25  IFU=0ANDW=0THENU=MC:W=MR 

26  MC=U:MR=W:SX=SX+MC:SY=SY+MR: IFSY<0THE 
NSY=R 

27  IFSY>RTHENSY=0 

28  IFSX>21THENSX=0 

29  IFSX<0THENSX=21 

30  X=SX:Y=SY: J=FNB{0) ! IFJ<48ANDJ>41THENF 
L=1:G0T045 

31  POKESH, SP:POKESH+CD,0:SH=FNA(0) : POKES 
H , MX% ( MC+1 , MR+1 ) : POKESH+CD, 3 

32  IFFL<>2THENPRINT" [HOME] {DOWN] [BLK] 
{3  SPACES] t BLU }" 

33  GOTO 17 

34  FORI=lTORG:POKEV,15:X=X+PX:Y=Y+PY:POK 
EVS,241 

35  IFK>1THENP0KET,SP:  POKET+CD,  0 

36  IFX>21THENX=0 


37  IFX<0THENX=21 

38  IFY>RTHENY=0 

39  IFY<0THENY=R 

40  J=FNB(0) :IFJ=SPTHEN42 

41  IFJ<48ANDJ >41THENI=RG: NEXTI :G0TO45 

42  T=FNA(0) :POKET,37:POKET+CD, 1:POKEV,0: 
F0RH  =  1T02  5 : NEXTH : NEXTI 

43  POKET ,  SP  : POKET+CD ,0:1 FPEEK ( RP ) =4  7THEN 
P0KEV.15 

44  G0T017 

45  L=FNB(0) :XP=FNA{0) : IFFL=1THEN50 

46  IFL=47THENPT=PT+500 : FL=0 : RG=8 : GOTO50 

47  IFL<46ANDL>41THENPT=PT+{ (L-41)*5) 

48  IFL=46THENPT=PT+100:FL=0 

49  IFPEEK(RP}=47THEN52 

50  POKEXP, 58: POKEXP+CD, 2 : POKEVN, 220 

51  F0RM=1 5TO0STEP-1 : POKEV, M : F0RN=1T025 : N 
EXTN , M : POKEVN , 0 : POKEVS , 0 

52  F0RM=1T03 : POKEXP , 58 : POKEXP+CD, 2 : FORN= 
1T02 5 :NEXTN: POKEXP, SP : POKEXP+CD, 0 

53  F0RN=1T02  5:NEXTN,M:IFFL=1THEN56 

54  IFPT>BBTHEN67 

55  POKET, 32: POKET+CD, 0:GOTO17 

56  POKEVN, 0 : POKEV- 9, 240: POKEV+1 , 170 : IFPT 
<0THENPRINT"{ CLR] {BLK] ENERGY  LOSS:  "; 
PT: GOTO 5 8 

57  PRINT" { CLR] (BLK J  SHIP  DESTROYED.  ENERG 
YTRANSMITTED:  "rPT 

58  INPUT"ANOTHER  GAMEfSHIFT-SPACE] {Y/N) 
";A$:IFA$="Y"THEN7 

59  END 

60  FOKED0, 127 :P=PEEK(D2)AND128: J0=-(P=0) 
:POKED0,255 

61  P=PEEK(D1) :Jl=-( (PAND8)=0) :J2=-( (PAND 
16)=0) 

62  J3=-( (PAND4)=0) :FB=-{ (PANDSP)=0) :RETU 
RN 

63  GOSUB70:IFRP<7706THENGOSUB70:POKERP,4 
7 : POKERC, 6 : POKEVN, 241 :GOSUB75 : RG=5 :G0 
T065 

64  POKERP , 46 : POKERC, 2 : POKEV-4 , 197 

65  POKEVS, 0: POKEV, 15 :FORH=1TO200: NEXT :P0 
KEV-4,0 

66  FL=2:TI$="000000":GOTO18 

67  POKEVS, 0: POKEVN, 0: PRINT" { CLR] {YELjBON 
US  100" :FORH=1TO1000: NEXT 

68  PT=PT+100:BB=BB+1000:IFPT>3000ANDSK<8 
THENSK=SK+1 

69  GOTOS 

70  X=FNR(C) :Y=FNR(R) :  IFFNB(0 )  OSPTHEN70 

71  RP=FNA(0) :RC=RP+CD: RETURN 

72  POKEV,0:IFPEEK(RP)=47THEN56 

73  POKERP, SP: POKERC, 0: PT=PT-500: IFPT<0TH 
ENS  6 

74  PRINT" [HOME] [BLK] {6  SPACES ]" :FL=0 :GOT 
017 

75  F0RI=1T06 : POKEV+1 , 30 : FORJ=1TO30 : NEXT : 
POKEV+1 , 14 i FORJ=1TO30 :NEXT : NEXTI : RETU 
RN 

Program  2:  VIC  Data  File  Program 

10  OPENl, 1,1, "DF" 

20  READX:IFX<0THEN50 

30  PRINT#1,X 

40  GOTO20 

50  CL0SE1 

60  GOT0999 

100  DATA7432, 128,126,121,112,104,68,64,32 


September  19B3     COMPUTED  Gazette     113 


110 

DATA7440 , 

120 

DATA7448, 

8 

130 

DATA7456, 

140 

DATA7464, 

150 

DATA7472, 

160 

DATA7480, 

170 

DATA7488, 

180 

DATA7496, 

190 

DATA7504, 

200 

DATA7  512, 

210 

DATA7520, 

220 

DATA? 528, 

230 

DATA75  36, 

240 

DATA7544, 

250 

DATA7632, 

4 

260 

DATA999,- 

999 

END 

6,8, 16,252,252,16,8,6 
32,64,68,104,112,121,126,12 

24,24,24,24,60,90,153,129 

0,0,36,24,24,36,0,0 

129,153,90,60,24,24,24,24 

1,126,158,14,22,34,2,4 

96, 16,8,63,63,8, 16,96 

4,2,34,22,14,158, 126,1 

128,82, 164,80,21, 170,21,34 

24,60,98,73,93,89,50,4 

0,42,28,62,28,42,0,0 

0, 112,152,188,189,25,14,0 

60,66,129,153,153,129,66,60 

56,16,84,2  54,84,16,56,0 

162, 116, 124,56,60, 106,81,14 


Program  3:  Demon  Star -64  Version 

90  S=54272:FOR  I=0TO28 :POKES+I ,0 :NEXT 

100  RESTORE 

110  POKE53281,U:POKE53280, 11:  PRINT" 

ECLR} (WHT)HOLD  ON  A  FEW  SECONDS  WHIL 

E  1  GET  MYSELF" 
120  PRINT"TOGETHER, . . " 
130  POKE  56334, PEEK( 56334 )AND254 : POKE1,  P 

EEK(1)AND251 
140  IF  PEEK(14934)<>56  THEN  FORI=12288TO 

1493 5 :POKEl, PEEK (1+53248-1 2288): NEXT 
150  FOR  I=12552T012679:READ  A:POKEI,AjNE 

XT 
160  POKE1 , PEEK ( 1 ) OR4 : POKE563 34 , PEEK (5633 

4)ORl 
170  DIMMX%(2,2) ,0%(4) 
180  K(1)=3:K(2)=10:K(3)=13:K(4}=7 
190  PT=0:BB=1000: INPUT  "LEVEL  (1-10) 

[3  RIGHT] 5 {3  LEFT] ";SK:IFSK<1ORSK>10 

THEN190 
200  D2=56321 sDl=D0-3 :D2=D0-2 ;CD=54272:C= 

40 : R=24 : SP=32 : FL=0 : RG=10 
210  E=42 
220  FORI=0TO2 : FORJ=0TO2 : SP=SP+1 ; MX% ( 1 , J ) 

=SP:NEXTJ, I:SP=32 
230  DEFFNA(W)=1024+X+C*Y:DEFFNB(w)=PEEK( 

FNA(W) ) ;DEFFNR(W)=INT(RND(1)*W) 
240  PRINT" [CLR)" 

250  POKE  53272, (PEEK(53272)AND240)+12 
260  FORI=0TO3 : 0% ( I ) =E : E=E+1 : NEXT : K=l : FOR 

H=0TO3:FORJ=1TO(3*SK) :GOSUB820 
270  POKERP,0%(H) :POKERC,K(K) :NEXTJ:K=K+1 

:NEXTH 
280  MC=0:MR=-1 ; SX=3 ; SY=24 :SH=1987 : POKESH 

,36:POKESU+CD,3 
290  FORH=1TO1000:NEXT 
300  PRINT" {HOME} {WHT} [RVS] "PT" [ BLU] " : IFF 

L=0ANDFNR( 10)=3THEN7  50 
310  IFFL=2THENPRINT"{HOME) {  RVS  ] {DOWN] 

[CYN]  "; RIGHT$(TI$,2) ; " {BLU} " : IFTI>1 

000THEN840 
320  GOSUB7 20 : IFFBTHENX=SX : Y=SY : PX=MC : PY= 

MR:GOTO460 
3  30  U=0;W=0:IFJ0THENU=1 
340  1FJ2THENU=-1 
350  IFJ1THENW=1 
360  IFJ3THENW=-1 
370  IFU=0ANDW=0THENU=MC:W=MR 


380 

390 
400 
410 
420 

430 

440 

450 
460 
470 
480 
490 
500 
510 
520 
530 
540 

550 

560 
570 
580 

590 
600 
610 
620 
630 
640 

650 
660 
670 
680 

690 


700 


710 
720 
730 
740 

750 

760 
770 
780 
790 

800 

810 
820 

830 
840 
850 

860 

870 


MC=U  s  MR=W: SX=SX+MC : SY=SY+MR ; IFSY  <0TH 

ENSY=R 

1FSY>RTHENSY=0 

IFSX>39THENSX=0 

IFSX<0THENSX=39 

X=SX:Y=SY:J=FNB(0} : IFJ<48ANDJ>41THEN 

FL=1:GOTO570 

POKESH , SP : POKESH+CD , 0 : SH=FNA ( 0 ) i POKE 

SH,MX%(MC+1,MR+1) :POKESH+GD,3 

IFFL<>2THENPRINT"(HOME] [DOWN] {BLK] 

{3  SPACES] {BLU] " 

GOTO300 

FORI=lTORG:X=X+PX:Y=Y+PY 

IFI <  > 1THENPOKET, SP: POKET+CD, 0 

IFX>39THENX=0 

IFX<0THENX=39 

IFY>RTHENY=0 

IFY<0THENY=R 

J=FNB ( 0 ) : IFJ=SPTHEN540 

IFJ<48ANDJ>41THENI=RG:NEXT1:GOTO570 

T=FNA{0) :POKET, 37: POKET+CD, 1:POKEV,0 

:F0RH=1T025:NEXTH:NEXTI 

POKET , SP : POKET+CD, 0 : IFPEEK { RP ) =47THE 

NREM 

GOTO300 

L=FNB(0) :XP=FNA{0) : IFFL=1THEN620 

IFL=47THENPT=PT+500 : FL=0 : RG=10 : GOT06 

20 

IFL<46ANDL>41THENPT=PT+£ (L-41)*5) 

1FL=46THENPT=PT+100 : FL=0 

IFPEEK (RP)=47THEN640 

POKEXP,58:POKEXP+CD, 1 

FORM=l 5TO0STEP-1 : F0RN=1T02  5 : NEXTN , M 

F0RM=1T03 : POKEXP , 58 : POKEXP+CD , 1 : FORN 

=1T025: NEXTN: POKEXP, SP:POKEXP+CD, 0 

FORN=1TO2  5:NEXTN,M:IFFL=1THEN680 

IFPT>BBTHEN790 

POKET, 32 : POKET+CD, 0 : GOTO 300 

IFPT<0THENPOKE  53272 , 21 : PRINT" [CLR] 

{ BLK ]{ WHT ] ENERGY  LOSS:  ";PT:GOTO700 

POKE  53272, 21 :PRINT" JCLR) [BLK] {WHTjS 

HIP  DESTROYED. ":PRINT"ENERGY  TRANSMI 

TTED:  ";PT 

POKE  198,0: INPUT" {3  DOWN] ANOTHER  GAM 

E (SHIFT-SPACE) (Y/N)  {3  RIGHTjY 

{3  LEFT) ";A$:IFA?="Y"THEN190 

END 

P=255-PEEK(56321) :J0=-( (PAND8)=8) 

Jl=-{ (PAND2)=2) :J2=-{ (PAND4)=4) 

J3=-( (PANDl)=l)sFB=-£ (PAND16)=16) : RE 

TURN 

GOSUB820 : IFRP<1068THENGOSUB3000 : POKE 

RP, 47 : POKERC, 1 :GOSUB870 : RG=6 :GOTO770 

GOSUB2000:POKERP,46:POKERC, 1 

FORH=1TO200:NEXT 

FL=2 i TI$= "000000 " j  GOT03 10 

POKE  53272, 21 t PRINT" {CLR] [YELJ BONUS 

100":FORH=1TO1000:NEXT:POKE53272,28 

PT=PT+100:BB=BB+1000:IFPT>3000ANDSK< 

8THENSK=SK+1 

GOTO200 

X=FNR{C) :Y=FNR(R) : IFFNB{0) <>SPTHEN82 

0 

RP=FNA  ( 0  )  :  RC=RP+-CD :  RETURN 

IFPEEK(RP)=47THEN680 

POKERP , SP : POKERC, 0: PT=PT-500 : IFPT<0T 

HEN680 

PRINT" {HOME} [BLK} {6  SPACES] ":FL=0:GO 

TO  3  00 

RETURN 


114    COMPUTE!'! Gazette    September  1983 


880  DATA  128,126,12 
890  DATA  6,8,16,252 
900  DATA  32,64,68,1 
910  DATA  24,24,24,2 
920  DATA  0,0,36,24, 
930  DATA  129,153,90 
940  DATA  1,126,158, 
950  DATA  96, 16,8,63 
960  DATA  4,2,34,22, 
970  DATA  128,82,164 
980  DATA  24,60,98,7 
990  DATA  0,42,28,62 
1000  DATA  0,112, 152 
1010  DATA  60,66, 129 
1020  DATA  56, 16,84, 
1030  DATA  162,116,1 
2000  REM  SOUND  WHEN 
2010  POKE  54296,15 
2020  POKE  54277,20 
2030  POKE  54278,175 
2040  POKE  54276,33 
2050  FORI=lT07:POKE 

T 
2060  POKE  54276,32 
2065  POKE  54296,0 
2070  RETURN 
3000  GOSUB2000:GOTO 


Potholes 


1,  112, 104,68,64,32 
,252,16,8,6 
04,112, 121,126,128 
4,60,90, 153, 129 
24,36,0,0 
,60,24,24,24,24 
14,22,34,2,4 
,63,8, 16,96 
14,  158, 126, 1 
,80,21,170,21,34 
3,93,89,50,4 
,28,42,0,0 
,  188, 189,25,14,0 
,153,153,129,66,60 
2  54,84, 16,56,0 
24,56,60, 106,81,144 
DEATH  STAR  APPEARS 


5427  3, RND(1)*256;NEX   450 


820 


Note:  The  unusual  characters  found  in  linen  10030-10070  of 
Programs  2  and  3  represent  the  left-arrow  key,  found  in  the 
upper  left  corner  of  the  VIC  and  64  keyboard. 

Program  1 :  Initialization  (For  VIC-20) 

10  POKE  51,0:POKE  52,27 

20  POKE  55,0:POKE  56,27:CLR 

30  FOR  1=6912  TO  6930 

40  READ  A: POKE  I, A: NEXT 

50  SYS  6912 

60  FOR  1=7384  TO  7439 

70  READ  A:POKE  I,A:NEXT 

80  POKE  52,28:POKE  56,28:CLR 

90  PRINT" {CLRHDOWNJ {RIGHT J INITILIZE  COM 

PLETE" 
100  PRINT"t3  DOWN} [RIGHT}  LOAD  MAIN  PROG 

RAM" 
110  NEW 

120  DATA  162,0,189,0 
130  DATA  128,157,0,28 
140  DATA  189,0,129,157 
150  DATA  0,29,232,208 
160  DATA  241,96,0 

170  DATA  84,124,84,16,16,186,254,186 
180  DATA  186,254,186,16,16,84,124,84 
190  DATA  14,228,78,254,254,78,228,14 
200  DATA  112,39,114,127,127,114,39,112 
210  DATA  0,0,24,24,24,0,0,0 
220  DATA  0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0 
230  DATA  170,85,170,85,170,85,170,85 
250  DATA  0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0 


Program  2:  Main  Program  (For  VIC-20) 

100  POKE  36869,255 

110  GOSUB  20000: GOTO  1010 

300  GETD?:P=PEEK(203) :IF  P=64  THEN  HA=4 : 

RETURN 

310  IF  P=51  THEN  P=0:GOTO  360 

320  IF  P=36  THEN  P=l:GOTO  360 

330  IF  P=43  THEN  P=2:GOTO  360 

340  IF  P=44  THEN  P=3:GOTO  360 

3  50  RETURN 

360  IF  PEEK(A+M(P) )=33  THEN  RETURN 

370  HA=P: RETURN 

400  IF  HB<>4  THEN  B1=B+M(HB) 

402  IF  CN>0  THEN  RETURN 

403  IF  CN=0  THEN  HB=4: RETURN 

405  HY=INT( (B-VR+l)/22)-INT({A-VR+l)/22) 

410  HX=B-A-HY*22iCN=3 

420  IF  ABS(HX}>ABS(HY)  THEN  450 

430  IF  HY>  =  0  THEN  HB=0: RETURN 

440  HB=1: RETURN 

IF  HX>0  THEN  HB=2: RETURN 
460  HB=3: RETURN 
500  IF  HA=4  THEN  RETURN 
510  A1=A+M(HA) :D=PEEK{A1) 
520  IF  D=3  2  THEN  RETURN 
530  IF  D=31  THEN  560 
540  IF  D=33  THEN  HA=4:RETURN 
550  OV=l: RETURN 
560  POKE  SU,251:S=S+TE:POKE  SU,219:PO=PO 

-1 
570  POKE  214, 3:S?=STR$(S) :SL=LEN{S$) :PRI 

NT  SPC(22-SL}MID$(S$, 2,SL-1) 
580  POKE  SU,0: RETURN 
600  IF  HB=4  THEN  RETURN 
610  B1=B+M(HB) :D=PEEK(B1) 
620  IF  D=32  OR  D=31  THEN  RETURN 
630  OV=li RETURN 
1000  GOTO  6000 
1010  GOSUB  10000 
1020  GOSUB  1100: GOSUB  1200 
1040  IF  OV=l  THEN  1700 
1050  IF  PO=0  THEN  1500 
1060  GOTO  1020 
1100  IF  HA<>4  THEN  POKE  A, 32 : A=A1 : POKE  A 

,CH(HA}:POKE  A+CR,2 
1110  GOSUB  300:GOSUB  500 
1120  RETURN 

1200  IF  HB<>4  THEN  POKE  B, UN: POKE  B+CR,7 
:B=B1:UN=PEEK{B) : POKE  B,CH(HB) : POKE 
B+CR,6 
1210  CN=CN-1 

1220  GOSUB  400:GOSUB  600 
1230  RETURN 
1500  GOSUB  1100:POKE  214 , 15 : PRINT" "SPC{ 1 

6) "BONUS" 
1510  BO=TE*20:S=S+BO:TE=TE+5 
1520  PRINT  SPC(16)BO 
1530  GOSUB  3000: FOR  1=0  TO  500 : NEXT: GOTO 

1010 
1700  GOSUB  1100 
1710  POKE  B, 32: POKE  A, 42 
1720  GOSUB  3200 

1730  CA=CA-1:OV=0:IF  CA=0  THEN  4000 
1740  GOTO  1010 
3000  FOR  SL=0  TO  20 

3010  POKE  SU, 242j FOR  S1=0  TO  40: NEXT 
3020  POKE  SU, 245  s  FOR  S1=0  TO  20: NEXT: NEXT 
3030  POKE  -SU,0: RETURN 

September  1983    COMPUTEI'i  Gazette     115 


3100  FOR  SL=0  TO  30 

3110  POKE  SU, 214; FOR  S1=0  TO  10: NEXT 

3120  POKE  SU,221:FOR  S1=0  TO  10:NEXT:NEX 

T 
3130  POKE  SU,0: RETURN 
3200  FOR  SL=15  TO  0  STEP-1 
3210  POKE  36878, SL 
3220  POKE  SU+3,241:FOR  S1=0  TO  9:NEXT:PO 

KE  A+CR, 4 
3230  POKE  SU+3,246:FOR  S1=0  TO  9:NEXT:PO 

KE  A+CR, 1: NEXT 

3240  POKE  SU+3,0 

3250  POKE  36878, 10:RETURN 

4000  GOSUB  3100 

4001  PRINT" (HOME} {DOWN} " 
4010  FOR  S1=0  TO  18 

4020  PRINT" [RIGHT) 1 13  SPACES  3 " :NEXT 

4030  POKE  214,6 

4031  PRINT" (2  DOWN }[ RIGHT ] [GEN]*  GAME  OV 
ER  *" 

4040  IF  S>HS  THEN  HS=S : PRINT" ( 2  DOWN} 
(2  RIGHT) [CYN] TOP  SCORE..." 

4050  PRINT" [3  DOWN)[BLUl(2  RIGHT] TRY  AGA 
IN?" 

4060  PRINT  SPC(7)"{DOWN) <Y/N>" 

4070  POKE  214,10:S?=STR$(HS} :SL=LEN(S?) 

4071  PRINT"[2  DOWN)"SPC(22-SL)MID${S$,2, 
SL-1) 

6000  GET  D$:IF  D$=""THEN  6000 
6010  IF  D$="Y"  THEN  6100 

6020  IF  D$="N"  THEN  POKE  36869 , 240 :PRINT 
"[CLRj {BLK)":END 

6030  IF  D$="{CLR}"  THEN  RUN 

6040  GOTO  6000 

6100  CA=3:S=0:TE=5 

6110  GOTO  1010 

10000  PRINT" {CLR} [RED}  **  POTHOLES  **" 

10010  PRINT" [YEL] 111111111111111" 

10020  FOR  1=0  TO  5 

10030  PRINT"  1  444 4*44444 -«-«-*  J  " 

10040  PRINT"  1-41  HII4I  |4{Ui  " 

10050  PRINT"  14  1  14  1  Ml  I  4  1  14']  ":NEXT 

10060  PRINT"  I*-*-*-*-*-*-**.*.*-*-*-*!" 

10065  PRINT"! I  11111111111  II" 

10070  PRINT"  [RIGHT]-*  (BLU}="TE;TAB(10)  " 

(GRN}["CA; 
10080  PRINT" [HOME] [BLU] [3  DOWN] "SPC( 16 ) " 

SCORE" 
10090  S$=STR?(S) :SL=LEN(S$) : PRINT  SPC{22 

-SL)MID$(S$,2,SL-1) 
10100  PRINT" [4  DOWN} "SPC( 17) "HIGH" 
10110  PRINT" [DOWN] "SPC( 16) "SCORE" 
10120  S$=STR$(HS) :SL=LEN(S$) : PRINT  SPC(2 

2-SL)MID$(S$,2,SL-l) 

10130  A=45+VR:B=45  3+VR:UN=31 

10140  POKE  A, 28: POKE  A+CR, 2 

10150  POKE  B, 27: POKE  B+CR,6 

10200  HA=4:HB=4:PO=150:CN=20 

10210  PRINT" [HOME] [3  DOWN] " : RETURN 

20000  DIM  M{3) ,CH(3) 

20010  VR=7680:CR=30720:CA=3:SU=36874:TE= 

5:OV=0 
20020  RESTORE:FOR  1=0  TO  3 : READ  M{l),CH( 

I) :NEXT 
20030  DATA  -22,27,22,28,-1,29,1,30 
20040  POKE  36878,10 
20050  RETURN 

116     COMPUTEI's  Gazette     September  1983 


Program  3:  Potholes  -  64  Version 

70  POKE  53280, l:POKE53281, 1 
80  PRINT" { CLR] [BLK] HOLD  ON  A  SECOND  WHIL 
E  I  GET  MYSELFi 5  SPACES } TOGETHER. .. " 

90  RESTORE: FOR  1=0  TO  8:  READ  A: NEXT 

91  POKE  56334, PEEK( 56334 )AND254 

92  P0KE1,PEEK(1)AND251 

93  FOR  1=0  TO  511:POKE12288+I,PEEK(53248 
+1) :NEXT 

94  POKE  l,55:POKE  56334, PEEK{ 56334 )ORl 

95  1=12505 

96  READ  A: IF  A<>256  THEN  POKE  I, A: 1=1+1: 
G0TO96 

99  POKE  53272,28 

110  GOSUB  20000:GOTO  1010 

300  GETD$:P=PEEK(203) : IF  P=64  THEN  HA=4: 

RETURN 
310  IF  P=30  THEN  P=0:GOTO  360 
320  IF  P=36  THEN  P=l:GOTO  360 
330  IF  P=29  THEN  P=2:GOTO  360 
340  IF  P=3  7  THEN  P=3:GOTO  360 
3  50  RETURN 

360  IF  PEEK(A+M(P) )=33  THEN  RETURN 
3  70  HA=P: RETURN 
400  IF  HB<>4  THEN  B1=B+M(HB) 

402  IF  CN>0  THEN  RETURN 

403  IF  CN=0  THEN  HB=4: RETURN 

405  HY=INT(  (B-VR+l)/40)-INT(  (A-VR+lJ/40) 

410  HX=B-A-HY*40:CN=3 

420  IF  ABS(HX)>ABS(HY)  THEN  450 

430  IF  HY>=0  THEN  HB=0: RETURN 

440  HB=1: RETURN 

450  IF  HX>0  THEN  HB=2: RETURN 

460  HB=3: RETURN 

500  IF  HA=4  THEN  RETURN 

510  A1=A+M{HA) :D=PEEK(Al) 

520  IF  D=32  THEN  RETURN 

530  IF  D=31  THEN  560 

540  IF  D=33  THEN  HA=4; RETURN 

550  OV=l: RETURN 

560  S=S+TE:PO=PO-l 

570  POKE  214,3:S$=STR?(S) :SL=LEN(S$) :PRI 

NT  SPC(22-SL)MID$(S$,2,SL-1) 
580  RETURN 

600  IF  HB=4  THEN  RETURN 
610  B1=B+M(HB) ;D=PEEK(B1) 
620  IF  D=32  OR  D=31  THEN  RETURN 
630  OV=l; RETURN 
1000  GOTO  6000 
1010  GOSUB  10000 
1020  GOSUB  1100: GOSUB  1200 
1040  IF  OV=l  THEN  1700 
1050  IF  PO=0  THEN  1500 
1060  GOTO  1020 
1100  IF  HA<>4  THEN  POKE  A, 32 : A=A1 :POKE  A 

,CH(HA) :POKE  A+CR, 2 
1110  GOSUB  300:GOSUB  500 
1120  RETURN 
1200  IFHB<>4THENP0KEB,UN:P0KE  B+CR,7:B=B 

1:UN=PEEK{B) : POKE  B, CH (HB) : POKE  B+C 

R,14 
1210  CN=CN-1 

1220  GOSUB  400:GOSUB  600 
1230  RETURN 
1500  GOSUB  1100: POKE  214 . 15: PRINT" "SPC(1 

6) "BONUS" 
1510  BO=TE*20:S=S+BO:TE=TE+5 
1520  PRINT  SPC(16)BO 


1530 

1700 
1710 
1720 
1730 
1740 
3000 
3010 
3020 
3030 
3100 
3110 
3120 
3130 
3200 
3220 
3230 
3250 
4000 
4001 
4010 
4020 
4030 
4031 

4040 

4050 

4060 
4070 
4071 

6000 
6010 
6020 

6030 
6040 
6100 
6110 
10000 


GOSUB  3000: FOR  1=0  TO  500 : NEXT: GOTO   20020 

1010 
GOSUB  1100 
POKE  B, 32: POKE  A, 42 
GOSUB  3200 

CA=CA-1:OV=0: IF  CA=0  THEN  4000 
GOTO  1010 
FOR  SL=0  TO  20 
FOR  S1=0  TO  40:NEXT 
FOR  S1=0  TO  20sNEXT:NEXT 
RETURN 
FOR  SL=0 
FOR  S1=0 

FOR  S1=0  TO  10;NEXT:NEXT 
RETURN 

FOR  SL=15  TO  0  STEP-1 
FOR  S1=0  TO  9: NEXT: POKE  A+CR,4 

A+CR, Is  NEXT 


TO 
TO 

TO 
TO 
TO 


30 

10:NEXT 
10: NEXT 


I [ DOWN } " 
18 

SPACES] 


FOR  S1=0  TO  9: NEXT: POKE 

RETURN 

GOSUB  3100 

PRINT" [HOME] 

FOR  S1=0  TO 

PRINT" [RIGHT) [13  SPACES] " : NEXT 

POKE  214,6 

PRINT" [2  DOWN] [RIGHT] [GRN}*  GAME  OV 

ER  *" 

IF  S>HS  THEN  HS=S:PRINT" [ 2  DOWN} 

(2  RIGHT] [CYN] TOP  SCORE..." 

PRINT" [3  DOWN ][ BUT } [ 2  RIGHT} TRY  AGA 

IN?" 

PRINT  SPC(7)"[DOWN] <Y/N> " 

POKE  214,10sS$=STR$(HS) :SL=LEN(S$) 

PRINT" [2  DOWN} "SPC(22-SL)MID$(S$,2, 

SL-1) 

D$=""THEN  6000 

THEN  6100 

THEN  PRINT"  (CLRHBLK]  ":EN 


GET  D$:IF 
IF  D$="Y" 
IF  D$="N" 
D 

IF  D$="(CLR) 
GOTO  6000 
CA=3:S=0:TE=5 
GOTO  1010 
PRINT"[CLR} [red] 


THEN  RUN 


POTHOLES  **' 


10010  PRINT" [YEl) I  1  1 11  1  1  1  11  1  II  1  I  " 

10020  FOR  1=0  TO  5 

10030  PRINT"  144*««.«<4«*.«-«.*1 

■  ■ 

10040  PRINT"  m  m  Ul  Ml  Ul" 

10050  PRINT  "  141  14  I  14!  14 1 14 1  "  i  NEXT 

10060  PRINT"  1  ■*■*■*■«-«-«-«•*•«■<'«•*-«  1 
ii 

10065  PRINT" 1 11111111111111" 

10070  PRINT"  [RIGHT]-*  [BLU}="TE;TAB(10)" 

[GRN]["CA; 
10080  PRINT" [HOME} [BLU] [3  DOWN] "SPC ( 16 ) " 

SCORE" 
10090  S$=STR?(S) :SL=LEN(S?) t PRINT  SPC(22 

-SL)MID$(S?,2,SL-1) 
10100  PRINT" [4  DOWN} "SPC (17) "HIGH" 
10110  PRINT"[DOWN} "SPC(16) "SCORE" 
10120  S$=STR?(HS) :SL=LEN(S$) : PRINT  SPC(2 

2-SL)MID$(S$,2,SL-l) 
10130  A=81+VR:B=813+VR:UN=31 
10140  POKE  A, 28: POKE  A+CR, 2 
10150  POKE  B,27;POKE  B+CR, 14 
10200  HA=4:HB=4:PO=150:CN=20 
10210  PRINT" [HOME] [3  DOWN} " : RETURN 
20000  DIM  M(3),CH(3) 
20010  VR=1024:CR=542  72;CA=3:TE=5:OV=0 


20030 
20040 
20050 
30000 
30010 
30020 
30030 
30040 
30050 
30060 
30070 


RESTOREsFOR  1=0  TO  3 : READ  M(l),CH{ 

I) :NEXT 

DATA  -40,27,40,28,-1,29,1,30 

POKE  36878,10 

RETURN 

DATA  84, 124,84, 16, 16, 186, 254, 186 

DATA  186,254,186,16,16,84,124,84 

DATA  14,228,78,254,254,78,228,14 

DATA  112,39,114,12  7,127,114,39,112 

DATA  0,0,24,24,24,0,0,0 

DATA  0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0 

DATA  170,85,170,85,170,85,170,85 

DATA  0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,256 


MiniTerm-20 


BEFORE  TYPING... 
Before  typing  in  programs,  please  refer  to  "How 
To  Type  COMPUTERS  Gazette  Programs"  and 
"A  Beginner's  Guide  To  Typing  In  Programs" 
that  appear  before  the  Program  Listings. 


5  OPEN2,2,3,CHR$(38)+CHR$(224) :POKE3  7136 

,98 
10  POKE36879, 137: PRINT" [CLR] " 
20  PRINT" [HOME] [3  DOWN ] PDDPDDDDDDDDDDDDD 

DDDDD" 
30  PRINT" [BLK}MINITERM-20  FOR  VIC-20" 
40  PRINT " { DOWN ] DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD" 
100  GOSUB  1000 
120  ID$(1}="71625,1620" 
130  ID$(2)="JOHN  DOE" 
140  ID$(3)="GO  CEM-450" 
150  ID?(4)="OFF" 
160  GOTO1900 
200  PRINTCHR$(147)+CHR$(14)+"QN  LINE": PR 

INTCHR$(187)r 
210  GET#2,A$:IFA$=""THEN300 
220  PRINTCHR$(15  7) ; CHR? ( 1% ( ASC{A$ ) ) ) ; CHR 

? ( 187 ) ; : I FI% ( ASC ( A?  )  ) =34THENPOKE2 1 2 , 

0 
230  GOTO210 

300  GETA?:IFA$=""THEN210 
320  IFA?=CHR?(137)THENS=1 :GOTO800 
3  30  IFA?=CHR? (138) THENS=2 : GOTO800 
340  IFA?=CHR?(139)THENS=3sGOTO800 
345  IFA$=CHR$(140)THENS=4:GOTO800 
350  PRINT#2,CHR$(0%(ASC(A5) ) ) ; sGOTO210 
800  F0RX=1T0LEN(ID$(S) ) 
810  T$=MID${ID$(S),X,1) 
820  PRINT#2,CHRS(0%(ASC(T$) ) ) ; 
830  NEXT:PRINTCHR$(13) : PRINT#2 , CHR? ( 13 ) 
840  IFA?=CHR$ ( 140 ) THENPRINT "TERMINATING 

CONNECTION" s FORX=1TO2000:NEXTX: P0KE3 

7136,98:END 
850  GOTO210 

1000  DIMI%(255),0%(255) 
1020  FORZ=32T064  : 0% ( Z )  =  Z : NEXT : 0% ( 1 3 ) =1 3 : 

O%(20)=8sO%(l60)=32 
1030  FORZ=65TO90  s Y=2+32 : 0% ( Z ) =Y  s NEXT ; FOR 

Z=91T095:0%(Z)=Z:NEXT 
1040  FORZ=193T0218:Y=Z-128:0%(Z)=Y;NEXT 
1045  O%(133)=03:O%(134)=19:O%(135)=17:O% 
(136)=16 


September  1983    COMPUTE'S  Gorette    117 


p?( 


1050  FORZ=0TO255 ;Y=0%{Z) : IFY<>0THENI% ( Y) 

-Z 
1060  NEXT: RETURN 
1900  PRINTCHR$(l47)+CHR$(14) 
1910  P?(1)="4479012":P$(2)="6341713' 

3)="7638879":P${4)="7238131" 
1920  F0RX=lT04:PRINTX;+"-"+P$(X) : NEXT 
1930  PRINT"  5  -MANUAL  ENTRY" 
1940  PRINT: PRINT"  SELECTION  ?" 
1950  GETB$:IFB$=""THEN1950 
1960  IFB$="1"THENPH$=P$(1) 
1962  IFB?="2"THENPH$=P$(2) 
1964  IFB$="3"THENPH$=P$(3) 
1966  IFB$="4"THENPH$=P$(4) 
1970  IFB?="5"GOTO2010 
1980  GOTO2030 
2010  PRINT: PRINT "ENTER  PHONE  NUMBER" :  INP 

UTPH$ 
2020  IFLEN(PH?) <7THEN2010 
2030  PRINT :PRINT"DIALING. . . " : POKE37136 , 1 

00 : FORX=1TO1000 ; NEXTX 
2040  FORPN=lTOLEN(PH?) 
2050  NN=VAL(MID${PH$,PN, 1) ) 
2060  GOSUB2500:NEXTPN 
2070  FORDL=1TO2000:IFPEEK(37136)=237THEN 

200 
207  5  NEXTDL 
2080  POKE37136.98 

2090  PRINT: PRINT"NO  CONNECTION  FOR  NR." 
2100  PRINT: PRINTPH? :FORX=1TO2000 : NEXTX :G 

OTO1900 
2500  PRINTNNr :IFNN=0THENNN=10 
2510  FORX=lTONN 

2520  POKE37136,98:FORXX=lT045;NEXTXX 
2530  POKE37136,100:FORXX=1TO24:NEXTXX 
2540  NEXTX 
2550  FORDL=1TO200:NEXTDL:RETURN 


Checkbook  Reporter 


BEFORE  TYPING... 
Before  typing  in  programs,  please  refer  to  "How 
To  Type  COMPUTE! 's  Gazette  Programs"  and 
"A  Beginner's  Guide  To  Typing  In  Programs" 
that  appear  before  the  Program  Listings. 


20    REM    CHECKBOOK    REPORTER 

23    OPEN4,4 

26  PRINT" {CLR]" 

29  INPUT"CATEGQRY";X$ 

30  PRINT 

32  PRINT"TYPE  0  IF  NO  BUDGET" 

35  INPUT" BUDGET ";BG 

36  PRINT 

37  PRINT 

38  PRINT"TYPE  YES  OR  NO" 

40  PRINT 

41  PRINT"DO  YOU  WANT  THE  TOTAL"; 

42  PRINT 

44  INPUT "AVERAGED" ;WAC$ 

47  PRINT" (CLR}" 

50  PRINT"*LIMIT  OF  13  ENTRIES*" 

53  INPUT"NUMBER  OF  ENTRIES" ;VAR 


54  DIMA?(15) 

55  DIMB(15) 

56  DIMC(15) 

57  DIMD$(15) 

58  DIME$(I5) 
71  FORA=lTOVAR 
74  PRINT"#";A; 

77  INPUT"DATE";A${A) 
80  INPUT"CK  NUM",-B(A) 
83  INPUT"AMOUNT"rC(A) 
86  INPUT "PAID  TO";D$(A) 

89  INPUT"FOR  WHAT";E$(A) 

90  REM  EDITOR  STEP  BACKFOR  CORRECTIONS 

91  INPUT"OK";OK$ 

92  IFOK$="NO"THENA=A-l :A=A 

96  PRINT 

97  NEXTA 

98  GOT0131 

101  FORI=lTOVAR 

104  PRINTC(I) 

107  GOSUB158 

110  NEXTI 

113  X=C(0)+C(1)+C(2)+C(3)+C(4)+C(5)+C(6) 

+C(7}+C(8)+C(9)+C(10) 
116  GT=X+C(11)+C(12)+C(13) 
119  PRINT 

122  PRINT "TOTAL="GT 
12  5  REM  SEND  TO  PRINTER 
128  GOT0176 
131  PRINT#4  "—*-*-*-*-*-*-*—*-*—*—*—*—*— 


134 
137 
140 
143 
146 
149 
152 
153 

155 
158 
161 
164 
167 
170 
173 
176 
179 
182 
185 
186 
188 
191 
194 
197 
200 

203 
206 
209 
212 
215 
218 
221 
224 
227 


PRINT#4 , CHR$ ( 14 }X$ 
PRINT#4,CHR?(15) 
PRINT#4, CHR? { 16 ) "01DATE" ; 
PRINT#4,CHR?{16) "10CK  NUM"? 
PRINT#4 , CHR$ (16) "20AMOUNT " ; 
PRINT#4,CHR${16) "30PAID  TO"; 
PRINT#4,CHR$(16) "46FOR  WHAT" 
PRINT#4f  "— 


'GT 


GOTO101 

PRINT#4 , CHR$ ( 16 ) "01 "A$  { I )  ; 

PRINT#4,CHR$(16)."10"B(l); 

PRINT#4 , CHR$ ( 16 } " 20 "C ( I ) ; 

PRINT#4,CHR${16) "30"D$(l); 

PRINT#4, CHR$ ( 16 ) "46 "E$ ( I } 

RETURN 

REMGRAND  TOTAL  AND  AVERAGE 

PRINT#4,CHR$(16)"07GRAND  TOTAL=" 

REM  BUDGET 

IFBG=0THEN215 

REM    BUDGET    ROUTINE 

PRINT#4,CtIR5(16)"12    BUDGET"BG 

IFBOGTTHEN200 

IFBG<GTTHEN206 

IFBG=GTTHEN212 

PRINT#4,CHR?(16) "07UNDER    BUDGET"BG-G 

T 

GOT0215 

PRINT#4 

G0T0215 

PRINT#4 


CHR$(16)"380VER    BUDGET "GT-BG 


BUDGET- 


' -EXACTLY  ON 
REM  AVERAGE 
IFWAC$="NO"THEN227 
Q=GT/VAR 

PRINT#4 , CHR$ ( 16 ) "06AVERAGE  COST="Q 
PRINT#4  '*  —  *  —  *  —  *  —  *  —  *-.■*.-*  —  *-.*  —  *  —  *  —  '*  —  *  — 
A-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-" 


11B     COMPUTSI's  Gazette    September  1983 


States  &  Capitals 
Tutor 

Program  1: 

States  Tutor  (Main  Program)  —  VIC  Version 


5  OPEN  1,  1,0,  "STATES" 
10  DIM  ST?(49,l) 

FOR  1=0  TO  49 

FOR  J=0  TO  1 

INPUTn,ST$(l,J) 

NEXT  J 

NEXT  I 

CLOSE  1 

K=0 : RT%=3 : WR%=0 : HE%=0 

PRINTCHR?{147) 

PRINT "STATES  TUTOR" 

PRINT: PRINT"THIS  PROGRAM  TUTORS 

[3  SPACES} THE  STUDENT  IN  STATES  AND  C 

APITALS" 

PRINT: PRINT "IF  YOU  DON'T  KNOW  AN 

[2  SPACES 3 ANSWER, TYPE  'HELP'" 

PRINT: PRINT "PRESS  ANY  KEY  TO  CONT-INU 

E" 

GET  A$:IF  A$=""THEN70 

R1%=INT( (50-K)*RND(-RND(0) ) ) 

R2%=INT(2*RND(1 ) ) 

PRINTCHR$(147} 

IF  R2%=0  THEN  130 

PRINT"THE  CAPITAL  OF  " : PRINTST? { Rl % , 

0);"  IS" 

GOTO  140 

PRINTST${R1%, 1) :PRINT:PRINT"IS  THE  C 

APITAL  OF  WHAT  STATE?" 

INPUT  AN? 

IF  AN$=ST$(R1%,R2%)THEN170 

IF  AN?="HELP"THEN220 


15 
20 
25 
30 
35 
40 
45 
48 
50 
55 


60 
65 

70 

100 
105 
110 
115 
120 

125 
130 


140 
145 
150 
155 
170 
175 
180 
185 
190 
195 

200 
205 
210 
220 
225 
230 
235 
250 
255 

260 
300 
305 
310 
315 
320 
325 
330 

335 
340 


GOTO  2  50 

RT%=RT%+1 

PRINT "THAT'S  RIGHT  I" 

FOR  I=0TO1 

I$=STS({49-K),l) 

ST$( {49-K),I}=ST$(Rl%, I) 

ST$(R1%,I)=IS 

NEXT  I 

K=K+1 

GOTO  300 

HE%=HE%+1 

PRINT :PRINT"THE  ANSWER  IS..." 

PRINTSPC(5)ST?(Rl%,R2%) 

GOTO  300 

WR%=WR%+1 

PRINT: PRINT "SORRY. THE  CORRECT  ANS-WE 

R  IS  " 

PRINT : PRINTSPC ( 5 ) ST$ ( Rl% , R2% ) 

PRINT: PRINT! PRINT: PRINT 

PRINT"YOUR  SCORE  IS;" 

PRINTSPC( 5 ) RT% ; "  RIGHT" 

PRINTSPC ( 5 )WR% ; "  WRONG" 

PRINTSPC { 5 )HE% ; "  HELPS" 

IF  RT%=50THEN400 

PRINT: PRINT "PRESS  ANY  KEY  TO  CONT-IN 

UE" 

GET  A$;IF  A$=""THEN  335 

GO  TO  100 


400 
405 


408 
410 
415 
430 
435 

440 

445 
450 


IF  WR%+HE%=0THEN430 

PRINT"THAT'S  ALL.  BUT  NOT {3  SPACES 3 A 

LL  YOUR  ANSWERS  WERE  CORRECT  OR  I  HA 

D  TO {3  SPACES 3 HELP  YOU." 

PRINT "PRESS  ANY  KEY  TO  START  OVER" 

GET  A?: IF  A$=""THEN410 

GOT045 

PRINT: PRINT "YOU  DID  IT  1  11  1  1 " 

PRINT "A  PERFECT  SCORE  AND  I  DIDN'T  H 

ELP" 

PRINT: PRINT "PRESS    ANY   KEY   TO   START    0 

VER" 

GET    AS: IF    A?=""THEN    445 

GOTO    45 


Program  2: 

File  Maker  (Data  File)  -  VIC  And  64 

10  DIM  ST$(49, 1} 
15  FOR  1=0  TO  49 
20  FOR  J=0  TO  1 
25  READ  ST$(I, J) 
30  NEXTJ 
35  NEXT! 

40  OPEN  1,1,1,  "STATES" 
45  FOR  1=0  TO  49 
50  FOR  J=0  TO  1 
55  PRINT#l,ST$(l,J) 
60  NEXT  J 
65  NEXT  I 
70  CLOSE  1 

7  5  DATA  ALABAMA, MONTGOMERY, ALASKA, JUNEAU 

, ARIZONA, PHOENIX, ARKANSAS, LITTLE  ROCK 

80  DATA  CALIFORNIA, SACRAMENTO, COLORADO, D 

ENVER, CONNECTICUT , HARTFORD , DELAWARE , D 

OVER 

85  DATA  FLORIDA, TALLAHASSEE, GEORGI A, ATLA 

NTA, HAWAII , HONOLULU, IDAHO, BOISE 
90  DATA  ILLINOIS, SPRINGFIELD, INDIANA, IND 
IANAP0LIS,IOWA,DES  MOINES, KANSAS , TOPE 
KA 
95  DATA  KENTUCKY, FRANKFORT, LOUISIANA, BAT 
ON  ROUGE , MAINE , AUGUSTA, MARYLAND , ANNAP 
OLIS 
100  DATA  MASSACHUSETTS, BOSTON, MICHIGAN, L 

ANSING, MINNESOTA, SAINT.  PAUL, MISSISSI 

PPI, JACKSON 
110  DATA  MISSOURI, JEFFERSON  CITY, MONTANA 

, HELENA, NEBRASKA, LINCOLN, NEVADA, CARS 

ON  CITY 
115  DATA  NEW  HAMPSHIRE, CONCORD, NEW  J ERSE 

Y, TRENTON, NEW  MEXICO, SANTA  FE, NEW  YO 

RK, ALBANY 
120  DATA  NORTH  CAROLINA, RALEIGH, NORTH  DA 

KOTA, BISMARCK, OHIO, COLUMBUS 
125  DATA' OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA  CITY, OREGON, S 

ALEM, PENNSYLVANIA, HARRISBURG 
130  DATA  RHODE  ISLAND, PROVIDENCE, SOUTH  C 

AROLINA, COLUMBIA, SOUTH  DAKOTA, PIERRE 
135  DATA  TENNESSEE, NASHVILLE, TEXAS, AUSTI 

N, UTAH, SALT  LAKE  CITY, VERMONT, MONTPE 

L7IER 
140  DATA  VIRGINIA, RICHMOND, WASHINGTON, OL 

YMPIA,WEST  VIRGINIA, CHARLESTON, WISCO 

NSIN, MADISON 
145  DATA  WYOMING, CHEYENNE 

September  1983    COMPUWs  Gazette     119 


Program  3 :  States  Tutor  -  64  Version      Program  3 :  Defend  For  The  VIC 

For  the  64  version,  substitute  the  following  lines  into 
Program  1. 

55  PRINT: PRINT"THIS  PROGRAM  TUTORS  THE  ST 
UDENT  IN £6  SPACES) STATES  AND  CAPITALS 


65  PRINT: PRINT"PRESS  ANY  KEY  TO  CONTINUE" 
255  PRINT: PRINT"SORRY. THE  CORRECT  ANSWER 

IS  " 
3  30  PRINT: PRINT"PRESS  ANY  KEY  TO  CONTINUE 

■  I 

405  PRINT"THAT"S  ALL.  BUT  NOT  ALL  YOUR  AN 

SWERS" 

406  PRINT "WERE  CORRECT  OR  I  HAD  TO  HELP  Y 

OU." 

The  Beginner's 
Corner 


BEFORE  TYPING... 
Before  typing  in  programs,  please  refer  to  "How 
To  Type  COMPUTERS  Gazette  Programs"  and 
"A  Beginner's  Guide  To  Typing  In  Programs" 
that  appear  before  the  Program  Listings. 


Program  1 :  VIC  Bouncing  Ball 

5  POKE  36878,15 

10  PRINT  "{CLRHbLU}" 

20  PRINT  "PRESS  f GRN} RETURN [BLU }  TO  STOP 

(2  SPACES] THE  BOUNCING  BALL." 
30  PRINT  "{3  DOWN] {GRN }§22  +{j" 
40  I=1:J=14:DI=1:DJ=1 
50  POKE  7680+I+22*J,81 
60  POKE  38400-HI+22*J,2 
70  POKE  7680+I+22*J,32 
80  I=I+DI:IF  r=0  OR  1=21  THEN  DI=-,DIY'POK 

E  36876,231 
90  J=J+DJ:IF  J=7  OR  J=22  THEN  DJ=-DJ:POK 

E  36876,235 
100  POKE  36876,0 
110  GET  A$:IF  A$=""THEN  50 
120  IF  ASC(AS)<>13  THEN  50 
130  PRINT  "{CLRHBLU}" 
140  END 


Program  2:  64  Bouncing  Ball 

5  POKE  53281, 1:POKE53280, 12 

10  PRINT  "{CLRHBLU}" 

20  PRINT  "PRESS  {GRN} RETURN [BLU]  TO  STOP 

[2  SPACESJTHE  BOUNCING  BALL." 
30  PRINT  "{3  DOWN} [GRN}£40  +%" 
40  I=1:J=14:DI=1:DJ=1 
50  POKE  1024+I+40*J,81 
60  POKE  55296+I+40*J,2 
70  POKE  10244-I+40*J,32 
80  I=I+DI:IF  1=0  OR  1=39  THEN  DI=-DI 
90  J=J+DJ:IF  J=7  OR  J=24  THEN  DJ=-DJ 
110  GET  AS: IF  A$=""THEN  50 
120  IF  ASC(A?}<>13  THEN  50 
130  PRINT  "[CLRHBLU]" 
140  END 

120    COMPUTE!'*  Gazette    September  1983 


1  POKE36878,15:TS=0 

2  DEF  FNR(X)=7745+22*(INT(RND{0)*20)) :GO 
TO  200 

10  PRINT" [CLR}":POKE36879, 107 : N=7922 : SC= 

0:D=10 
20  POKEN,90 
22  I=FNR(X) :J=FNR(X) :K=FNR(X) :H=FNR{X) 

24  IFH=IORH=JORH=KORI=JORI=KORJ=K  THEN  2 
2 

25  POKEH, 42 : POKEI , 42 : POKEJ , 42 : POKEK , 42 
30  GETA$:IFA$=CHR${136)OR  A$=CHRS ( 32 )THE 

N  60 
32  IFA$=CHR${94)THENPOKEN,32.-N=N-22;GOTO 
90 

34  IFA$=CHRS (17 )THENPOKEN, 32 :N=N+22 :GOTO 
90 

35  L=L+1:IFL<DTHEN30 

36  H=H-1: 1=1-1 :J=J-1:K=K-1:L=0 

37  IF(H-7680)/22=INT( (H-7680 ) /22 )THEN100 

38  IF(l-7680)/22=INT( ( 1-7680 ) /22 )THEN100 
40  IF(J-7680)/22=INT( ( J-7680 ) /22 )THEN100 
42  IF(K-7680)/22=INT( (K-7680 ) /22 )THEN100 
44  POKE36876,240:POKEH+-1,  32 : POKEI+1 , 32 : P 

OKEJ+1 , 32 : POKEK+1 , 32 : POKEH, 42 : POKEI , 4 
2 : POKEJ, 42 : POKEK, 42 : POKE36876 , 0 
50  GOTO30 
60  FORM=200TO220 : POKE36876, M: POKEN+30720 

, 2: POKEN+30720, 1 :NEXT; POKE36876, 0 
62  IFH>NANDH<N+22THEN72 
64  IFI>NANDKN+22THEN74 
66  IFJ>NANDJ<N+22THEN76 
68  IFK>NANDK<N+22THEN78 
70  SC=SC-5:GOT082 
72  POKE36877, 160: POKEH, 102 ;B=H:H=FNR(X): 

GOTO80 
74  POKE36877, 150:POKEI, 102 : B=I : I=FNR(X) : 

GOTO80 
76  POKE36877, 180: POKEJ, 102 : B=J : J=FNR(X) : 

GOTO80 
78  POKE36877,190;POKEK,102:B=K;K=FNR(X) 
80  SC=SC+10:POKEB,32:POKE36877,0 
82  PRINT"  {HOME}  [BLU }  [RVSH 22  SPACES] 

{OFF}": PRINT" [HOME) [WHT] SCORE  =";SC:I 
FSO500THEND=5 
84  GOTO30 

90  IFN<7724THENN=7724 
92  IFN>8164THENN=8164 
94  POKEN,90:GOTO30 
100  POKE36877 , 220 :FORC=38445T038885STEP2 

2 : POKEC, 2 : NEXTC : FORC=1TO100 : NEXTC 
110  FORC=38445T038885STEP22: POKEC, 1: NEXT 

C:POKE36877,0 
120  PRINT" [WHT ] GAME  OVER" 
130  FORC=1TO1000:NEXT:POKE36879,27 
140  PRINT" {CLR} (BLU} [2  DOWN} YOUR  FINAL  S 

CORE  WAS [3  SPACES}": PRINT" [ RED} ";SCt 

PRINT"[BLU}[2  DOWN}" 
150  IF  SOTS  THEN  TS=SC 
160  PRINT "HIGH  SCORE  =  ";TS 
170  PRINT" [GRN } [3  DOWN} TRY  AGAIN?  (Y/N)" 
180  GETASiIF  A$="Y"THEN  10 
185  IF  A?<>"N"  THEN  180 
190  PRINT" {BLU} ":END 
200  POKE36879,186:PRINT"(CLR} [BLK3":PRIN 

TTAB(5};"**  DEFEND  **[2  DOWN}" 
210  PRINTTAB{6) ; "BY  REGENA" 
220  PRINT" [2  DOWN] PRESS  T  TO  MOVE  UP": PR 


INT "PRESS  CRSR  DOWN  TO  GO  DOWN" 
230  PRINT "{DOWN] PRESS  F7  OR  SPACE": PRINT 

"TO  FIRE. {3  DOWN] " 
240  PRINT "KEEP  THE  INVADERS  FROMRSACHING 

YOUR  SIDE  OF  THE  SCREEN." 
250  PRINT" [2  DOWN} {RED} PRESS  RETURN  TO  S 

TART"; 
260  GETA$:IFAS=""THEN  260 
270  IF  ASC(AS)=13  THEN  10 
280  GOTO260 
290  END 

Program  4:  Defend  For  The  64 

1  TS=0:O=54272 

2  DEF  FNR{X)=1144+40*(INT(RND(0)*20)}:GO 
TO  200 

3  IFA$=CHR? { 17 )THENPOKEN, 32 : N=N+40 

10  PRINT"{CLR} ":POKE53281, 12 :N=1464 :SC=0 

:D=5 
15  PRINT" {HOME} §5  3 (RVS 3 {40  SPACES} 

[OFF]" sPRINT" {HOME} (WHT} SCORE  =";SC 
20  POKEN,90 
22  I^FNR ( X ) : J=FNR ( X } : K=FNR ( X } : H=FNR ( X ) 

24  IFH=IORH=JORH=KORI=JORI=KORJ=K  THEN  2 
2 

25  POKEH, 42 : POKEI , 42 : POKEJ, 42 ; POKEK, 42 
30  GETA?:IFA$=CHR$(136)OR  A$=CHR? ( 32 )THE 

N  60 
32  IFA$=CHR$(94)THENPOKEN,32:N=N-40:GOTO 
90 

34  IFA$=CHR$ ( 17 )THENPOKEN, 32 :N=N+40 : GOTO 
90 

35  L=L+1:IFL<DTHEN30 

36  H=H-1: 1=1-1 :J=J-1:K=K-1:L=0 

37  IF{H-1024}/40=INT{ (H-1024 ) /40 )THEN100 

38  IF(I-1024)/40=INT( ( 1-1024 ) /40 )THEN100 
40  IF{J-1024}/40-INT((J-1024)/40)THEN100 
42  IF(K-1024)/40=INT{ (K-1024 ) /40)THEN100 

44  POKEH+1 , 32 : POKEI+1 , 32 : POKEJ+1 , 32 : POKE 
K+l , 32 : POKEH, 42 : POKEI , 42 : POKEJ , 42 

45  POKEK,42:POKEH+O,2:P0KE  I+O, 2 : POKEJ+O 
,2:POKEK+0,2 

50  GOTO30 

60  FORM=200TO2  20:POKEN+O,1:POKEN+O,2:NEX 

T 
62  IFH>NANDH<N+40THEN72 
64  IFI>NANDI<N+40THEN74 
66  IFJ>NANDJ<N+40THEN76 
68  IFK>NANDK<N+40THEN78 
70  SC=SC-5:GOTOS2 


72  POKEH, 102 
74  POKEI, 102 
76  POKEJ, 102 
78  POKEK, 102 


B=H:H=FNR{X):GOTO80 
B=I : I=FNR (X ) : GOTO80 
B=J:J=FNR(X):GOTO80 
B=K:K=FNR(X) 
80  SC=SC+10:POKEB,32 

82  PRINT" {HOME} E53tRVS] {40  SPACES} 
{OFF}": PRINT" [HOME} [WHT} SCORE  =";SC 

83  IFSC>500THEND=0 

84  GOTO30 

90  IFN<1104THENN=1104 

92  IFN>1984THENN=1984 

94  POKEN,90:POKEN+O,0:GOTO30 

100  FORC=55377TO56257STEP40:POKEC,2:NEXT 

C : FORC=1TO100 :NEXTC 
110  FORC=55377TO5525  7STEP40:POKEC,1:NEXT 

C 
120  PRINT" {WHTJGAME  OVER" 
130  FORC=1TO1000 :NEXT: POKE53281 , 6 : POKE53 

280, 14 


140 


150 
160 
170 
180 
185 
190 
200 

210 
220 

230 

240 
245 

250 

260 
270 
280 
290 


PRINT"[CLR] {BLU} [2  DOWNjYOUR  FINAL  S 

CORE  WAS {3  SPACES} ": PRINT" {RED} " ; SC : 

PRINT" { BLU} {2    DOWN}" 

IF  SOTS  THEN  TS=SC 

PRINT"HIGH  SCORE  =  ";TS 

PRINT"[GRN} [3  DOWN) TRY  AGAIN?  (Y/N)" 

GETA$:IF  A?="Y"THEN  10 

IF  A$o"N"  THEN  180 

PRINT" {BLU}":END 

POKE53281,12:PRINT"fCLR} [BLK] ": PRINT 

TAB(5};"**  DEFEND  **{2  DOWN}" 

PRINTTAB(6) ; "BY  REGENA" 

PRINT" {2  DOWN} PRESS  T  TO  MOVE  UP": PR 

INT"PRESS  CRSR  DOWN  TO  GO  DOWN" 

PRINT" (DOWN} PRESS  F7  OR  SPACE": PRINT 

"TO  FIRE. [3  DOWN}" 

PRINT "KEEP  THE  INVADERS  FROM" 

PRINT "REACHING  YOUR  SIDE  OF  THE  SCRE 

EN." 

PRINT"[2  DOWN} {REDjPRESS  RETURN  TO  S 

TART"; 

GETA$:IFA$=""THEN  260 

IF  ASC{A$)=13  THEN  10 

GOTO260 

END 


Machine  Language 
For  Beginners 

Program  1 :  VIC  And  64  Disassembler 

100  HE$="012  34  56789ABCDEF";PRINT"{CLR}" 

110  L$  =  " ":J$  =  "  —  ->" 

120  PRINT"{2  SPACES}DISASSEMBLER":PRINT: 

DIMM$ (15,15) 
130  FORI=0TO15:FORB=0TO14:READM$ (I,B) tNE 

XTB:NEXTI :PRINT"{CLR}"; 
140  REM  START  MAIN  LOOP 
150  PRINT"START  ADDRESS  (DECIMAL) ": INPUTS 

A:TA=SA 
160  PRINT"{UP}{8  RIGHT}  (HEX=";  :DE=SA:ZX= 

3:GOSUB970:PRINTH$") " 
170  IFSA<0THENEND 
180  I=SA 

190  REM  PRINT  ADDRESS 
200  PRINTI"  "f 
210  X=PEEK(I) 
220  GOSUB1040 
230  IFL%=150RM$ (H% ,L% ) ="0 "THENPRINT"  ? 

{5  SPACES}"X:CK=0:LN=LN+l:GOTO260 
240  PRINTM5  (H%,L%)  ; 
250  GOSUBl070:IFEQTHENEQ=0 
260  1=1+1 

270  IFLN=18THENLN=0:GOTOl00Q 
280  GOTO190 
290  IFCK=12THEN320 
300  B  =  PEF,K  (1+1)  :IFB>127THENB=  (  (NOTB)  AND2 

55) +1:B=-B 
310  BAD=I+2+B:PRINT"{3  SPACES } "BAD: 1=1+1 

'.RETURN 
320  IFH%>8THEN730 
330  IFH%=2THENJ=l:GOTO750 
340  IFH%=6THENPRINT:PRINTL$:EQ=1: RETURN 
350  IFH%=6THENRETURN 
360  PRINT 
370  RETURN 
380  IFCK=12THEN410 

September  1  ?83    COMPUTE I't  Gazette     121 


(IND. {2  SPACES}";  :I 


390  PRINT"  ("PEEK(I+1) ") ,Yn 

400  I=I+1:RETURN 

410  PRINT"  ("PEEK(I+1)",X)" 

420  I=I+1:RETURN 

430  TFCK=12THFN460 

440  PRTNT"  "PEEK(I+1) ",X" 

450  I=I+1:RETURN 

460  PRINT"{2  SPACES}"PEEK (1+1) 

470  I=I+1:RETURN 

480  IFCK=12THEN510 

490  PRINT"  "PEEK  (1+1)  ",X" 

500  1=1+1: RETURN 

510  PRINT"{2  SPACES}"PEEK  (1  +  1) 

520  I=I+1:RETURN 

530  IFCK=12THEN510 

540  IFH%=90RH%=llTHENPRINT"  "PEEK(I+1) 

yll 

5  50  IFH%=7ORH%=15ORH%=5ORH%=3THEN4  80 

560  IFH%=13THFN440 

570  PRINT:GOTO500 

580  PRINT:  RETURN 

590  IFCK=12THEN730 

600  I$="Y":GOTO750 

610  IFCK=12THEN630 

620  I$="X":GOT0750 

630  IFH%=6THENPRINT" 

=  1  +  1 
640  IFH%=2THEN750 
650  IFH%=4THENPRINTJ$; :GOTO750 
660  IFH%=8ORH%=10ORH%=12ORH%=14THEN750 
670  GOTO380 
680  IFCK=12THEN750 
690  I?="X":GOTO750 
700  IFCK=12THFN750 
710  IFH%=llTHENI$="Y":GOTO750 
720  I$="X":GOTO750 
730  PRINT"t3  SPACES}#"PEEK  (1  +  1) 
740  I=I+1:RETURN 
750  N=PEEK (1+1) +PEEK  (1+2) 
760  TFI3=""THEW800 
770  IFI$="X"THENPRrNT"{2 
780  IFI$="Y"THENPRINT"{2 
790  IS="": I=I+2:RETURN 
800  PRINTN: 1=1+2 
810  RETURN 
B20  DATABRK,ORA,0,0,0,ORA,ASL,0,PHP,ORA, 

ASL,0,0,ORA,ASL,RPL,ORA,0,0,0,ORA,AS 

L 
8  30  DATAO, CLC, OR A, 0,0,0, OR A, ASL,JSR, AND, 

Q,0,BIT,AND,ROL,0,PLP,AND,ROL,0,BIT 
84  0  DATAAND,ROL,BMI  ,  AND,0  ,  0  ,  0  ,  AND  ,  ROC,  ,0  r 

SEC,AND,0,0,0,AND,ROL,RTI ,EOR, 0,0,0 
850  DATAFOR,LSR,0,PHA,FOR,LSR,0,JMP,EOR, 

LSR  ,  BVC  ,  EOR  ,  0  ,  0  ,  0  ,  EOR  ,  LSR  ,  0  , CL I  ,  FOR  , 

0 
860  DATAO , 0 , EOR ,  LSR  , RTS , ADC  ,0,0,0, ADC  ,  RO 

R,0,PLAf ADC 
870  DATAROR, 0,JMP, ADC, ROR,BVS, ADC, 0,0,0 
880  DATAADC,ROR,0,SEI ,ADC,0 , 0 , 0 , ADC , ROR , 

0,STA 
8  90  DATAO, 0,i STY, STA  ,STX  ,  0 ,DEY ,0 ,TXA , 0 , ST 

Y,STA 
900  DATASTX,BCC,STA,0,0,STY,STA,STX,0,TY 

A,STA,TXS,0,0,STA,0,LDY,LDA,LDX,0 
910  DATALDY,LDA,LDX,0,TAY,LDA,TAX,0,LDY, 

LDA , LDX , BCS , LDA ,0,0, LDY , LDA , LDX , 0 
920  DATACLV,LDA,TSX,0 
930  DATALDY,LDA,LDX,CPY,CMP,0,0,CPY,CMP, 

DFC,O,TNY,CMP,DEX,0,CPY,CMP,DEC 

122    COMPUTEI's  Gazette    September  1983 


'256 

SPACES} "N",X" 
SPACES} "N",Y" 


940  DATABNE, CMP, 0,0,0, CMP, DEC, 0,CLD, CMP, 
0,0,0,CMP,DEC,CPX,SBC,0,0,CPX,SBC,IN 

C 

9  50  DATAO, TNX, SBC, NOP, 0,CPX, SBC, INC, BEQ, 

SBC, 0, 0, 0, SBC, INC, 0,SED, SBC, 0,0,0, SB 

C 
960  DATAINC 

970  REM  MAKE  DECIMAL  INTO  HEX 
980  HS="":FORM=ZXTO0STEP-l:N%=DE/(16|M) : 

DE=DE-N%*16fM:H$=H$+MIO$ (HE$  ,N%  +  1 , 1 ) 
990  NEXT:RETURN 
1000  PRINT"TYPE  C  FOR"  I 
1010  GETK$:I^K$=""THEN1010 
1020  IFKS="C"THENSA=I : TA=SA:GOTOl70 
1030  INPUTSA:TA=SA:GOTOl70 
1040  REM  ANALYZE  H  S  L  OF  OPCODE 
1050  H%=X/16:L%=X-H%*16 
1060  :RETURN 
1070  REM  FIND  ADDRESS  TYPE  6.  GOSUB 

10  8  0  CK=H%/2:1FCK=INT(CK)THENCK=12 
1090  L%=L%+1 

1100  ONL%GOSUR2  9O,380,730,1130,4  80,4  80,5 
30,1130,5  80,590,58  0,1130,610,6  80,70 
0 

1110  CK=0 

1120  LN=LN+1 

1130  RFTURN 

Program  2:  RAMtest  Fragment 

800  FORADRFS=884TO930:READ  DATTA : POKEADR 

ES,DATTA:NFXTADRES 
882  DATA169,8,133,58 
888  DATA169, 0,133, 57, 160,0 
894  DATA24,141,0,4,145,57 
900  DATA209,57,240,21,152,72 
906  DATA165,58,72,32,179,3 
912  DATA104, 133, 58, 104,168, 169 
918  DATAO, 230, 57, 208, 7,230 
924  DATA58, 24, 105, 1,208, 221, 200 

Program  3:  Disassembly  Of  Fragment 


884 
886 
888 
890 
892 
894 
895 
898 
900 
90  2 
904 
905 
906 
908 
909 
912 
913 
915 
916 
917 
919 
921 
923 
925 
926 
928 
930 


LDA 
STA 
LDA 
STA 
LDY 
CLC 
STA  1024 


#  8 
58 

#  0 
57 
8  0 


STA 

CMP 

BEQ 

TYA 

PUA 

LDA 

PHA 

JSR  947 

PLA 


(  57  ),Y 

(  57  ),Y 

925 


58 


STA 
PLA 
TAY 
LDA 
INC 
BNE 
INC 
CLC 
ADC 
RNE 
INY 


58 


#  0 
57 

930 
58 

#  1 
895 


Power  BASIC 

64  Searcher 

40  T=491 52  j  FORI =TTOT  + 150 : READA: POKEI , A: C 

S=CS+A:NEXTI 
50  IFCS<>20528THENPRINT"ERROR  IN  DATA  ST 

ATEMENTS":STOP 
60  PRINT" { CLR } SYS ";T; "TO  START": END 
100  DATA160, 0,177, 43, 133, 251, 200, 177, 43, 

133,252, 160,0,177,251,208 
110  DATA1 , 200, 177, 251 , 208, 1 , 96, 160,0, 177 

,251,141,52,3,200,177 
120  DATA251, 141, 53, 3, 200, 177, 25 1,133,  99, 

200, 17  7,2  51,133,98,200,24 
130  DATA165,43, 105, 5, 133,67, 166,44, 144,1 

,232, 134,68,177,251,240 
140  DATA55, 162,0, 193,67, 240,4, 200, 24, 144 

,242,192,0,240,10,136 
150  DATA230, 2  51,208, 2, 2  30, 252 , 24, 144, 242 

, 160,0,177,67,240,8,209 
160  DATA25 1,208, 218, 200, 24, 144, 244,  169, 3 

5,32, 210,255, 166,99,165,98 
170  DATA32, 205, 189, 169, 32,  3 2,  210,  25 5, 173 

,52,3,133,251,173,53,3 
180  DATA133, 252,24, 144, 134 
190  DATA1 7 3, 230, 159, 141, 19, 3, 173,  23 1,1 59 

,141,19,3,169,128,32,144,255,0 


64  Explorer 


BEFORE  TYPING... 
Before  typing  in  programs,  please  refer  to  "How 
To  Type  COMPUTERS  Gazette  Programs"  and 
"A  Beginner's  Guide  To  Typing  In  Programs" 
that  appear  before  the  Program  Listings. 


Single  Drive  File  Copy 

20  REM  SINGLE  DRIVE  FILE  COPY 

40  POKE  52, 31 s POKE  56,31:CLR 

45  FOR  1=0  TO  173 

50  READ  D;POKE  7936+1 , D:NEXT 

55  POKE  785,0: POKE  786,31 

60  PL$=CHR?(19) 

65  FOR  1=1  TO  24:PL$=PL?+CHR$(17) :NEXT 

70  FOR  1  =  1  TO  39:CL$=CL$+"  " :NEXT 

75  CL$=CL$ +CH RS (13) +CL$+CHR$  (13) 

80  CL$=LEFT$(PLS,21)+CL$+CHR${145)+CHR?( 

145) 
85  OPEN  15,8, 15: REM  OPEN  ERROR  CHAN 
90  GOTO  1000 

110  REM  READ  THE  DIRECTORY 
130  POKE  785,0: REM  SELECT  READ  FUNCTION 
140  PRINT#15, "I":OPEN  2,8,2,"$" 
150  NB=USR(2) :REM  LOAD  DIR  INTO  MEM 
160  CLOSE  2:GOSUB  800 : REM  CHECK  ERROR 
170  RETURN 

210  REM  DISPLAY  DISK  NAME 
230  POKE  785,6:REM  SELECT  FETCH  CHAR 
240  PRINT  LEFT$(PL$,3);CHR$(l8); 
250  FOR  K=142  TO  169 
260  PRINT  CHR?(USR(K) }; :NEXT 
270  PRINT  CHRS(146) 
280  RETURN 


310  REM  PRINT  DIRECTORY  ENTRY  DE 

3  30  POKE  785, 6: REM  SELECT  FETCH  CHAR 

340  IX={DE~l)*32+254-INT( (DE-l)/8)*2 

345  IF  USR(IX)<12S  THEN  RETURN 

350  TY=USR(IX)-128:IF  TY=0  OR  TY>3  THEN 

RETURN 
360  FOR  K=IX+3  TO  IX+18 
370  PRINT  CHR$(USR(K) ); 
380  NEXT  SPRINT  TAB(16);","; 
390  PRINT  MID$( "SPU",TY, 1) : RETURN 
410  REM  GET  DESTINATION  DISK 
430  PRINT  CL$; 

440  PRINT  "INSERT  DESTINATION  DISK." 
450  PRINT  "PRESS  " ;CHR5 ( 18 ); "RETURN" ; 
460  PRINT  CHR$(146);"  WHEN  READY." 
470  GET  DM5:  IF  DM$  =  '*"  GOTO  470 
480  IF  DM$<>CHR$(13)  GOTO  470 
490  PRINT#15, "I":RETURN 
510  REM  GET  A  FILE  TO  COPY 
530  PRINT  CL$;:IF  EN=63  GOTO  580 
540  IF  UE=128  THEN  PRINT  NM$ ; "  TOO  LARGE 

*    I 

550  IF  EN=62  THEN  PRINT  NM$  ;  "  NOT  FOUND. 

560  PRINT  "ENTER  FILE, TYPE " :NM$=" ": EN=0 : 

UE=0 
570  INPUT  NM$ , TY$ : RETURN 

580  PRINT  NM?;"  EXISTS.  ENTER  NEW  NAME" 
590  EN=0:NM?="": INPUT  NM? : RETURN 
610  REM  READ  THE  FILE 

630  POKE  785,0: REM  SELECT  READ  FUNCTION 
640  OPEN  2,8,2,NM$+", "+TY?+",R" 
650  GOSUB  900: IF  EN<>0  THEN  CLOSE  2 : RETU 

RN 
660  NB=USR(2) : REM  READ  THE  FILE 
670  CLOSE  2: GOSUB  800: REM  CHECK  RESULTS 
680  RETURN 

710  REM  WRITE  THE  FILE 

730  POKE  785, 3: REM  SELECT  WRITE  FUNCTION 
740  OPEN  2,8,2,NM?+", "+TY?+",W" 
750  GOSUB  900: IF  EN<>0  THEN  CLOSE  2 : RETU 

RN 
760  NB=USR(2) : REM  WRITE  THE  BYTES 
770  CLOSE  2: GOSUB  800: REM  CHECK  RESULTS 
780  RETURN 
810  REM  CHECK  USR()  RETURN  VALUE 

830  NB=NB-(NB<0)*65536 

840  IF  NB<61440  THEN  UE=0:RETURN 

850  IF  NB=61440  THEN  UE=128 : RETURN 

860  PRINT  CL$; 

870  IF  PEEK(785)=0  THEN  PRINT  "READ"; 

880  IF  PEEK (785 )=3  THEN  PRINT  "WRITE"; 

890  PRINT  "  ERROR  * " ;NB-6 L443 : END 

910  REM  READ  ERROR  CHANNEL 

940  INPUT#15,EN, EM?,ET,ES 

950  IF  EN=0  OR  EN=62  OR  EN=63  THEN  RETUR 

N 
960  CLOSE  15:PRINT  CL$; 
970  PRINT  "DISK  ERROR  #";EN 
980  PRINT  LEFT$(PL?,22);EM$:END 
1010  REM  MAIN  ROUTINE 

1030  PRINT  CHR?(147 ) ; : REM  CLEAR  SCREEN 
1040  PRINT  "[7  SPACES}SINGLE  DRIVE  FILE 

COPY" 
1050  PRINT: PRINT  "READING  DIRECTORY" 
1060  GOSUB  100: REM  READ  THE  DIRECTORY 
1070  GOSUB  200: REM  DISPLAY  TITLE 
1080  NS  =  INT(  (NB+D/254) 
1090  IF  NS=1  GOTO  5000: REM  HO  FILES 
1100  DS=1 
1110  IF  NS<=DS  THEN  DS=1 : REM  START  OVER 

September  1983    COMPUTEI's  Gazette    123 


1120  PRINT  LEFT$(PL?,4}; 

1130  BE=(DS-1)*8+1:LE=BE+15 

1140  IF  DS+1=NS  THEN  LE=BE+8 

1150  FOR  DE=BE  TO  LE 

1160  GOSUB  300: NEXT: REM  DISPLAY  FILES 

1170  FOR  I=PEEK(214)  TO  20:REM  CLEAR 

1180  PRINT  "[20  SPACES)" 

1190  NEXT 

1200  GOSUB  500: REM  GET  FILE  NAME 

1210  IF  NM$=""  THEN  DS=DS+2:GOTO  1110 

2013  REM  COPY  THE  FILE 

2030  PRINT  CL$; 

2040  PRINT  "READING  ",-NM$ 

2050  GOSUB  600: REM  READ  THE  FILE 

2060  IF  EN=62  OR  UE=I28  GOTO  1200 

2070  BC=NBsREM  SAVE  COUNT 

2080  GOSUB  430: REM  GET  DEST .  DISK 

2090  PRINT  CL?; "WRITING  " ; NM$ 

2100  GOSUB  700:REM  WRITE  THE  FILE 

2110  IF  EN=0  GOTO  3000 

2120  GOSUB  500: REM  GET  NEW  FILE 

2130  IF  NMSo""  GOTO  2090 

2140  PRINT  CL$;"FILE  NOT  COPIED" 

2150  GOTO  3100 

3010  REM  DISPLAY  COMPLETION  STATUS 

3030  PRINT  CL?; 

3040  IF  NB<>BC  GOTO  3060 

3050  PRINT  "COPY  SUCCESSFUL. [2  SPACES}"; 

:GOTO  3070 
3060  PRINT  "ERROR.  ONLY  ";NB;"  OUT  "j 
3070  PRINT  BC; "BYTES  COPIED." 
3100  PRINT  "PRESS  ";CHR$(18); 
3110  PRINT  " RETURN ";CHR?(  146); 
3120  PRINT  "  TO  COPY  ANOTHER  FILE" 
3130  GET  DM$:IF  DM$=""  GOTO  3130 
3140  IF  DM$=CHRS(13)  GOTO  1000 
3150  END 

4010  REM  NO  FILES  ERROR  HANDLING 
4030  PRINT  LEFTS (PL$, 21); 
4040  PRINT  "NO  FILES  ON  THIS  DISK." 
4050  PRINT  "PRESS  RETURN  TO  TRY  "; 
4060  PRINT  "ANOTHER  DISK."; 
4070  GET  DM$:IF  DM$  =  " "  GOTO  4070 
4080  IF  DM$=CHR$(13)  GOTO  1000 
4090  END 

10000  DATA  76,15,31,76,88,31,76,154 
10010  DATA  31,108,3,0,108,5,0,32 
10020  DATA  9,31,152,170,32,198,255,168 
10030  DATA  176,57,169,0,133,251,169,32 
10040  DATA  133,252,160,0,32,207,255,145 
10050  DATA  251,230,251,208,2,230,252,165 
10060  DATA  144,208,13,165,252,201,160,14 

4 
10070  DATA  235,32,204,255,160,0,240,19 

10080    DATA    164,144,32,204,255,192,64,208 
10090    DATA    10,164,251,165,252,56,233,32 
10100    DATA    76,12,31,169,240,76,12,31 
10110    DATA    32,9,31,152,170,32,201,255 
10120    DATA    168,176,240,165,251,141,174,3 

1 
10130    DATA    165,252,141,175,31,169,0,133 
10140    DATA    251,169,32,133,252,160,0,177 
10150    DATA    251,32,210,255,164,144,208,20 
10160    DATA    230,251,208,2,230,252,165,252 
10170    DATA    205,175,31,144,234,165,251,20 

5 
10180    DATA    174,31,144,227,32,204,255,76 
10190    DATA    73,31,32,9,31,132,251,24 
10200    DATA    105,32,133,252,160,0,177,251 
10210    DATA    168,169,0,76,12,31 
124    COMPUTEI't  Gazette    September  19B3 


VICreations 


BEFORE  TYPING... 
Before  typing  in  programs,  please  refer  to  "How 
To  Type  COMPUTEI's  Gazette  Programs"  and 
"A  Beginner's  Guide  To  Typing  In  Programs" 
that  appear  before  the  Program  Listings. 


Rolling  Dice 

1  POKE36879,27:SC=7771:CO=38491:X=RND(-TI 

) :GOTO10 

2  A=A+4; RETURN 

3  A=A+7 : RETURN 

10  PRINT" [CLR] [DOWN } [ BLK J YOU  THREW  A: 

[DOWN}" 
20  PRINT" [2  SPACES }OJ 5  T|P"TAB ( 13 ) "O 

£5  T^P" 
30  PRINT"T2  SPACES}BG|"TAB(8) "gM3"TAB 

(13}"iG3"TAB(19)"EM3" 
40  PRINT" (2  SPACES] §G3"TAB(8) "BM3 "TAB 

(13)"BG|"TAB(19) "£m|" 
50  PRINT" [2    SPACES} BG3"TAB{8)"EM3 "TAB 

(13)"£G!"TAB(19)"gMi" 
60  PRINT" [2  SPACES}iGfuTAB(8)"lM|"TAB 

(13)"r)G!"TABU9)"EM3" 
70  PRINT" [2  SPACES} iG3 "TAB ( 8) "gME "TAB 

(13)"EG3"TAB(19)"EM3" 
80  PRINT" [2  SPACES}Lg5  @i@"TAB( 13 ) "L 

E5  @3£lBLU}" 
90  A=SC:B=81:FORC=1T03:POKEA,B:GOSUB2:POK 

EA,B:GOSUB3: POKEA, B:G0SUB2 
100  POKEA, B:A=A+29: NEXT 
110  FORD=1T025:A=CO:FORC=1T03 
112  Cl=INT(RND(l)*8)+0 
114  C2=INT(RND(l)*8)+0 
116  C3=INT(RND(l)*8)+0 
118  POKEA,Cl:GOSUB2:POKEA,C2 
1 20  GOSUB3 : POKEA, C3 : GOSUB2 : POKEA, CI : A=A+2 

9 
150  NEXTCiNEXTD 
160  D1=INT(RND(1)*6)+1 
170  D2=INT(RND(1}*6)+1 
180  A=SC:B=3  2:FORC=lT03:POKEA,B:GOSUB2:PO 

KEA,B:GOSUB3: POKEA, B;GOSUB2 
185  POKEA, B:A=A+2 9: NEXT 
1 90  A=CO : B=0 : F0RC=1T03 : POKEA, B : GOSUB2 : POK 

EA, B : GOSUB3 : POKEA, B : GOSUB2 
195  POKEA, B;A=A+29 : NEXT : POKECO+46 , 0 : POKEC 

0+57,0 
200  A=0:OND1GOSUB210, 215,220,225,230,235 
205' A=11:OND2GOSUB210,215,220,22  5,2  30,235 

:GOTO300 
210  P0KESC+46+A, 81: RETURN 
215  POKESC+A, 81 : POKESC+92+A, 81; RETURN 
220  POKESC+A, 81 : POKESC+46+A, 81 : POKESC+92+ 

A, 81: RETURN 
2  25  POKESC+A, 81 : P0KESC+4+A, 81 : P0KESC+88+A 

,81 : POKESC+92+A, 81 : RETURN 
230  POKESC+A, 81 :POKESC+4+A, 81 ;POKESC+46+A 

,81 : POKESC+88+A, 81 : POKESC+92+A, 81 
232  RETURN 
235  POKESC+A, 81 :P0KESC+4+A, 81 :P0KESC+44+A 

, 81 : POKESC+48+A, 81 : P0KESC+88+A, 81 
237  P0KESC+92+A, 81: RETURN 
300  PRINTTAB{4)"[D0WN} "Dl ; TAB{ 15 )D2 
310  FORT=1TO1500;NEXTT!GOTO10 


TeleTerm  64 

1  CL0SE2: RESTORE :CLR  fc 

2  0PEN2 ,2,3, CHR$ ( 6+32 ) +CHRS (32+64 ) 

5  PRINT" {CLR}" 

6  POKE53280,0:POKE53281,0 
10  REM  64  TO  ASCII 

20  DIMO%(256) 
30  FORX=0TO255 
35  0%(X)=X 

40  IF0%(X)>64AND0%(X)<99THEN0%(X)=0%(X)+ 
32 

50  IFO%(X}>192AND0%(X)<219THENO%(X)=O%(X 
J-128 

51  O%{20)=127 

52  0%(133)=8 

53  REM  SPECIAL  FUNCTIONS  (OUT)  CAN  GO  HE 
RE 

60  NEXTX 

70  REM  ASCII  TO  64 


80  DIMI%(256) 

90  FORY=0TO2  56 

100  IFI%(Y)>64ANDI%(Y)<91THENI%(Y)=I%(Y) 

+  128 
110  IFI%(Y)>96ANDI%{Y)<123THENI%(Y)=I%(Y 

)-32 

123  I%(8)=157 

124  I%(Y)=Y 

125  REM  SPECIAL  FUNCTIONS  (IN)  CAN  GO  HE 
RE) 

130  NEXTY 

140  PRINT "READY" 

145  FORT=1TO100:NEXT 

210  PRINTCHRS(14) ■ "(CLR}"; 

300  GETOS:IFO$=""THEN400 

320  B%=ASC(0$) sO%=0%(B%) :0$=CHR$(0%) : PRI 

NT#2,0$; :POKE646, 1 
400  GET#2, I$:IFI$=""THEN300 
420  A%=ASC{I$) :I%=I%{A%) :lS=CHRS(l%) : PRI 

NTIS; :GOTO300 
450  END 


Bug-Swatter: 

Modifications  And  Corrections 


A  few  errors  in  our  Premier  Issue  of  COMPUTEFs 
Gazette  have  been  brought  to  our  attention  by 
readers: 

•  In  "Skydiver"  for  both  the  VIC  and  64,  a 
quirk  in  the  way  the  printer  listed  the  program 
makes  it  unclear  that  two  spaces  should  be  typed 
in  line  100.  The  absence  of  these  spaces  causes 
the  plane  to  appear  as  a  continuous  streak.  A  space 
should  be  typed  before  pressing  the  RVS  key  each 
time  in  line  100.  Here  is  a  proper  listing: 

100  PRINT" {HOME} [DOWN}"; TAB (A); "{OFF]  (RV 
S}g*U(2  LEFT) {DOWN} {OFF}  {RVS}|2  13": 
A=A+1 

•  In  the  column  "Machine  Language  For  Be- 
ginners," the  sample  program  fell  victim  to  the 
compatibility  problem  we  explained  in  "Commo- 
dore 64  Video  Update"  in  the  same  issue.  In  that 
article  we  described  how  a  change  to  the  Commo- 
dore 64's  video  chip  has  altered  the  clear-screen 
routine  in  newer-model  64s.  This  means  that  some 
of  you  with  computers  affected  by  the  change 
saw  nothing  but  a  blank  screen  when  you  tried 
the  sample  program  accompanying  "Machine 
Language  For  Beginners." 

For  a  fix,  try  typing  this  small  routine  before 
running  the  sample  program: 

FOR   X=l    TO    1000: POKE    55295+X, 1 :NEXT 
[Press  RETURN] 


As  explained  on  page  44  of  the  Premier  Issue, 
this  fills  color  memory  with  the  code  for  white  so 
that  characters  POKFd  directly  into  screen  mem- 
ory will  actually  appear.  It  takes  several  seconds 
to  execute.  There  are  several  other,  faster  wavs 
of  accomplishing  the  same  thing;  watch  future 
issues. 

•  In  the  "VICreations"  column,  an  equals 
sign  was  inadvertently  omitted  from  Program  5 
on  page  77.  Line  40  should  read: 

40  TI$="000000"iSYS7168j PRINT  Tl/60:END 

This  statement  resets  the  VIC-20's  built-in 
realtime  clock  to  zero,  jumps  to  the  machine  lan- 
guage routine,  and  then  prints  the  elapsed  time 
in  seconds  before  ending  the  program.  Without 
the  equals  sign,  line  40  would  result  in  an  error 
message. 

+  *  *  *  +  *  * 

We  also  received  a  modification  for  a  program  in 
the  Premier  Issue: 

•  "Alfabug"  can  be  changed  so  that  the  child 
must  press  a  key  to  move  the  bugs'just  one  step 
instead  of  the  whole  length  of  the  race  course. 
Helen  J.  Festa  suggests  altering  line  115  in  either 
the  VIC  or  64  version  so  that  "THEN81"  reads 
"THEN76".  The  complete  line  should  look  like 
this: 

115    CR=CR+INsIN=IN*-l:IFF<53THEN76 

We  appreciate  receiving  both  corrections  and 
suggested  modifications  from  readers.  Please 
address  them  to: 

Bug-Swatter 

do  COMPUTE!'*  Gazette 

P.O.  Box  5406 

Greatttioro,  NC  27403  <gf 

September  1983    COMPUTEI's  Gazelle     125 


-Ch*i**c*»r    color     and    mod*    aat     far 

•  ■en    ctiaractar, 
-AuKtliAr/,     bortjvr,     md    icr»tn    color 

EMHTldli 
-B    Pa-war    *i»Qni  *  iCAtlG-n    for    editing    ir»i. 
-Cursor    control »,     RETURN,     HDtlE,     Cl_R, 

Jill    .-!-■     MLttun    tn*   aditlng    Ara*. 
-4m5    ini  MtlQ-n    *ra*    cycl#«.    through 

il    .-any    ji    alght     ui>r-i«ltctt<9 

chArActar   eollicuoni. 
'Sivti   i«t    to   *11    output    tltvicti. 
-LOAdA    BBC     from    ill     input    divlCii, 

VlC-20    VERBIUN 
-64    ch*r»ct»r»    adlta-d    at    on*    ll«i, 
-FitA    In    An    unenpancjad    YIC-20. 
CBHfi*     and     EXPANDED     VIC-JO    VEHBluN 
-336    cmrictfri    adltadl     1^2    avaLlabla 

At    on*    tin*    for    CGM64,     M    aval  Labia 

tar    VlC-20* 
-90    dagra*    rntitlon    command. 
-Nov*    command    ahlifta    pinala    of    on* 

chincttr,     Aft    A    group*     up,     down, 

right,     or    la*t> 
-UIC-20   progrAm   fit*   in   Any   VIC  with 

■  t     l*A*t    #n    BK    ■Hpimlan. 
Plfiti    apaclfy    tha    tvp*    Of    computar, 
And    If    It    la    axpandad, 
C«SEiTt-1lt.tS    JtMITI-l3:l,11      iH  HI  U»  II  TiH 
Jumt    Afiothar    Eiaawin    Co.,    D«pt.    A9 
P.O.    Box    B93t    Palo   Alto,    fcfl"       94101 


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American  Peripherafs 

(OffMwl 

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6r:  Orqiln  -i-il 

1 22  Barigor  Street 

Lindonhurst.lNY  11757 

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4?1  3-0TkT«T«  HH 

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Writers, 
programmers.. 

COMPUTE 7s 

Gazette 
is  looking  for 
articles  on  the 

VIC  and  64. 


HOW  TO  MAKE  MONEY 

with  your 

VIC  20 

COMMODORE  64 

PERSONAL  COMPUTER 


You've  made  the  Investment— now  spend 
just  54,95  more  to  learn  how  to  get  it  all 
back— and  more.  New  1983  compendium 
of  practical,  proven  methods  for  operating  a 
profitable  business  right  in  your  own  home 
has  just  been  published.  Includes  latest 
software  listings.  Sent  postpaid  the  same 
day  we  receive  your  check  for  $4,95. 


*  Practlc.il  Applications 

J  Box  336 

I  Edwardsburg,  Ml  491 12 

I 


N.irr 

Addr*ss_ 

Cil) 


SM1o 


ZiO 


"" |  Check  enclosed       4 


SID  says: 


parallel  interface  ., 
■  with  any  purchase! 

Authorized 
Dealer 
«kw  «M»a«)ff  pawns  oxlx    PRINTERS 

STX-80 (Thermal) .  60cps.$175 

GeminMOx 120  cps  .$315 

Gemini-15 100  cps. $415 

Sertrj  check  or  money  crdff,  plus  Stl  tshippino/iurKIting) 

Can  ads)  6S  In 

10   COMPUTER  OUTLET 

5857  Mason  Ooiqt  Fid    San  Diego.  CA  92120 
SENO  ME   I  ;  STX-80  Gen™  10X         I  I  G*mim  1$ 

Name Phone , 

Adtli  ess  Zip 

Drivers  Lie  »       Stale  _  Exp.  _ 

Allow  1  week  loi  delivery  No  C  0  D  I 


-)>  PftYROLL  * 

*  USER  Friendly 

*  PRINTS  Emoioyee  Pay 
Stub 

*  W-£'  s  Pit  the  end  of 
year. 

*  FEDERAL  &■  F.  I.  C,  fl.  & 
STATE  Calculations 

*  TOTALS  FOR  QUARTERLY 
TAX  REPORTS:  Prints 
all  emoloyees  on  file 
and  g  i  ves  you  their 
combined  totals. 

*  FULL  DOCUMENTATION 

ONLY   $89. 95 
C-S4  DISK  ONLY 
J. O. Warren 
P. O. Box  £97 
Clallam  Bay,  Wa. 98326 
PHONE  £(36-963-£693 


BIBLE  Software 

For  Commcxiore  64™  Bible 
learning  games  for  home  and 
Sunday  school.  Action  game 
JONAH  and  the  WHALE 
only  S 1 6.95.  Order  or  request 
information  to: 

BIBLE  Software 

4169  S.E.  Davidson 
Albany,  Oregon  97321 


And  now 
lor  your 

64 

Note 
Pro 


30  1-366-8  I  38 


^ 


Powerful  Utility  Software 
tor  creating 


•  MUSIC 

•  SOUND  EFFECTS 

•  HI-RES  GRAPHICS 


Halt  Pro  I— Starter  sound  and 
music  editor  Tape-S24.95, 
Dlifc.J27.95 


Nolo  Pro  II— Advanced  sound 
and  music  editor  Tape-Sag .9 6, 
Olsk.S49.95 


Note  Pro  Bridge— Copyable 
machine  language  routine  which 
can  be  added  to  your  programs 
lo  give  high  snaad  SID  control 
and  play  of  Nate  Pro  files 
Tape  S24.95,  Dl)k  S27.9S 


Plot  a  lot— Mi  res  drawing  board. 
Use  hr  res  screens  in  your  own 

programs. 

Tapo-SU.95.  Disk-517.95 


*  Order  Today         *  Dealer  Inquiries  Welcomed 


Electronic 
Lab 

Irlduttriss 


P.O.  box    7107 
too  W.  22*id  Street 
Bnllo.,  M(J.  21218 


Free 
Brochure! 


FREE  OFFER! 


COMPUTER 

CASSETTES 

580 

FREE  VIC-20  Compatible 

"Party  Trivia  Game" 
with  each  order  of 
20  or  more  C-10's 

■  C-10  Length 

•  5  Screw  Shell/Free  Labels 

•  Lifetime  money  back  guarantee 

•  Storage  Box  add  124  each 

•  $2.00  shipping  charge  —  any  quantity 
(Canadian  orders  $4.00  shipping) 

•  NJ  Residents  add  6%  sales  tax 

•  Send  check  or  money  order  to 

PARALLEL  SYSTEMS 

Box  772 

Blackwood,  NJ  08012 

609-227-9634 


A  COMPUTER  WITH 
WHEELS? 

WELL  .  .  .  ALMOST 


THE  POWERMASTER™ 

MOBILE  POWER  SUPPLY  FOR  YOUR 

CAR  OR  VAN 

For  ATARI?  VCS  game  console  or  computer 
or  COMMODORE  VIC  Or  64*  Just  plug 
POWERMASTER  Into  your  car's  cigarette 
lighter  and  you're  ready  to  travel  Designed 
to  protect  your  computer  Great  for 
business  or  vacations.  Keeps  the  kids 
happy,  too. 


DISTRIBUTORS  INVITED 
Call  RANDOM  ACCESS  MARKETING 

PO  bok  1SG1  Newporr  Beach  CA  92663 

I714J  640-5119 

Manufacturer  high  tech  ENTERPRISES 
»3  corporate  Plaza  suire  202  Newport  Beacn  CA  926S0 


ATARI  AND  VIC-20 

CONFRONTATION  AT  VEGA  THREE;  The 

spacewar  strategy-adventure  game  Itial 
Iranstorms  your  computer  info  a  slarship 
Realistic  lacdcal  displays,  intelligent  enemy 
ships  and  lull-blown  command  logic  make  this 
one  a  galactic  commander's  dream1  (16K 
required)  S12.95  on  casiette 
TRIPLE  PLAT:  Three  games  tor  less  lhan  the 
price  ol  one  X-Pairol.  Pickups,  ana 
Balls'  [no  expansion  required) 
S9.95  on  caisette 


Send  check  or  m/o  to: 


Cedar 
r  sland 
Software 


P.O  Box  51545 
Jacksonville  Beach 
32250 


FL 


Prices  include  postage/  handling. 
Florida  residents  add  5%  sales  lax. 
Afari  &  VIC-20  are  registered 
trademarks 


BUDCETAIDE     $69.95 

Family  budget  assistance  in  money 
management,  menu  driven,  chart  ot 
accounts,  user  define  categories,  inte- 
grated checkbook  with  reconciliation, 
color  graph  analysis  of  budget  manage- 
ment and  more, 


DDB-ONE     $89.95 

Relational  data  base  for  your  64.  Minimal 
set-up  time  required  with  the  self 
prompting  aids.  Search,  Text  Retrieval, 
Field  Editing,  Auto  File  Advance,  Flagged 
Files,  Any  Print  Format,  and  all  this  from 
the  screen. 


Dealer  inquiries  arc  welcomed. 

(send  check  or  money  order  and  $1.50  for  handling) 

To:  MicroTechniques 

P.O.  Box  192 
Chesterfield,  MO  63017 


COMMODORE  64' 
OWNERS  ONLY 

■  SHARE • LEARN • ENJOY ■ 

■  Monthly  Newsletter 

•  Public  Domain  Software 

•  Reports  ol  Recent  64  Articles 

•  Local  Chapter  Meetings 

•  Product  Discounts  ■  Service  Advice 

'  Ui-, Monthly  Magazine  -  Advice  on  Training 

•  Annual  Convention 

•  Member  Bulletin  Board 

Send  Name,  address, 
phone  no.  and  annual  dues  (S2S)  to: 

The  Commodore  64  Users  Group 

P.O.  Box  572 

Glen  Ellyn,  Illinois  60137 

Or  Call: 

{312)790-4320  (weekdays 
9:00  am  -  5:00  pm  -  Central  Time) 

"An  Independent  mX-for-  prof  It  orginizal  ion". 


September  1983    COMPUTEi's  Gazette     127 


ADVERTISERS  INDEX 


Reader  Service  Number/  Advertiser  Page 

1 02  Aardvark  L.T.D 65 

Abacus  Software 37 

103  Academy  Software 77 

Accolade  Computer  Products     107 

AdVentures    49 

American  Peripherals   126 

104  A-l  Computer  Services 88 

105  Apropos  Technology     93 

1 06  Arbutus  Totalsoft  Inc 1 26 

Bible  Software     127 

107  Boone  Corporation 41 

108  Broderbund  Software   !FC 

1 09  Bytes  &  Pieces   88 

110  Byte-Ryte   67 

111  Cardco,  Inc IBC 

Cass-A-Tapes   92 

1  1  2  Castle  Software 37 

Cedar  Island  Software    . 127 

113  Century  Micro  Products    97 

Comm+Data  Computer  House,  Inc 31 

Commodore  Business  Machines  Inc BC 

114  Commodore  64  Users  Group 1 27 

Compu  Sense     81 

Compu  Sense 104 

Compu  Sense    97 

115  Compu  Sense    72,73 

Compu  Sense 1 03 

Compu  Sense     1 03 

Computer  Mail  Order     55 

116  ComputerMat    53 

1 1 7  Computer  Outlet   85 

Computer  Outlet 127 

Computer  Software  Associates     51 

Creative  Software   4 

Data  Equipment  Supply     1 03 

Eastern  House 107 

1 18  Electronic  Lab  Industries     127 

Foxftre  System,  Inc 16 

119  French  Silk     .....95 

French  Silk     97 

Gatos  International     126 

Genesis  Computer  Corporation     81 

Hewitt's  National  Wholesale    112 

House  of  Software 90 

Human  Engineered  Software    39 

Hytec  Systems    29 

Institutional  Computer  Development  Corp.    ..  37 
Interesting  Software     95 

120  Jini  Micro-Systems,  Inc 46 

J.O.Warren    127 

121  Just  Another  Software  Co 126 

Lightning  Software    99 

Little  Wizard  Manufacturing     57 

128    COMPUTEI's  Coiette    September  1983 


Reader  Service  Number/Advertiser 


Page 


Micro  Digital   43 

1 22  Microlog 47 

123  MicroSystems  Development,  Inc 45 

MicroTechniques     127 

MicroWare  Distributing  Inc 109 

Micro  World  Electronix  Inc. 79 

124  Midwest  Micro  Inc 16 

Olympic  Sales  Company     71 

Parallel  Systems 127 

125  Parsec  Research 46 

Practical  Applications 126 

126  Precision  Technology,  Inc 63 

127  Professional  Software  Inc 9 

The  Program  Store     61 

128  Progressive  Peripherals  &  Software     103 

129  Protecto  Enterprizes    75 

Quality  Computer   1 00 

130  Random  Access  Marketing 36 

Random  Access  Marketing     1 27 

Rainbow  Computer  Corporation    91 

Screenplay 25 

Selective  Engineering  Technology    36 

Sierra  On-Line 7 

Sim  Computer  Products  Inc 35 

SJB  Distributors  Inc 101 

1 31  Skyles  Electric  Works 87 

SMA 35 

Soft-Aware    57 

Software  Guild 68,69 

Southern  Solutions     17 

Spinnaker    2,3 

132  Star  Micronics 15 

1 33  Synapse   27 

1 34  T  &  F  Software     1 

Taylormade  Software 84 

Technical  Products    71 

135  Timeworks,  Inc 23 

136  Toronto  Pet  Users  Group    77 

137  Totl  Software,  Inc 29 

Tri-Micro .  19 

Tronix 11,12,13 

U.S.  Technologies   105 

Victory  Software  Corp 67 

Voice  World 97 

York  1 0  Computerware    57 


COMPUTEI's  First  Book  of  VIC     112 

COMPUTEI's  Gazette 33 


/ 


A  Cartridge  Word  Processor  for  the  VIC-20 


imu 


I 


The  WRITE  NOW!  Word  Processor 


WmmmmaSm 


for  your  VIC.  It  gives  you  the 
-featuresyou  expect  in  a 
-  professional  word  processor  & 
some  unique  features  not 
aval  lable  in  any  other  VIC  word 
processor. 

With  WRITE  NOW!  you  have 
.unlimited  recall  of  often  used  text; 
global  string  search  makes  it  easy 
to  find  or  replace  any  copy?  \ 

Editing  copy  is  made  easy  with 
simple  commands  and  the  full 
block  command  enables  you  to 
move  or  delete  blocks  a)  copy.  You 
can  insert  or  delete  text  at  will  as 
"  you  scroll  up  or  down  through  your 
document  line  by  line,  page  by 
page,  or  you  can  jump  directly  to 
the  beginning  or  the  end  of  your 
document.  WRITE  NOW!  gives  you 
the  option  of  text  centering  & 
justification,  along  with  the  use  of 
multiple  line  headers  &  footers. 
Page  numbering  can  be  set  at  the 
top  or  bottom  of  a  page  and  either 
In  Arabic  or  Roman  numbers. 


of- 


m&m 


1 1  i  t  y    i  I  c  ■  i 
I  >r  i<   <  » 
i  cic: 


allows  the  use  of  up  to  1- 3k  and  2- 
16k  RAM  cartridges  in  the 
combination  of  your  choice 

optional  Joystick  control  for  scrolling. 

Included  with  WRITE  NOW!  Is  a  30 
minute  audio  cassette  Instruction 
course  and  the  easy-to- 
understand  instruction  booklet— 
all  for  the  Manufacturer's 
Suggested  Retail  Price  of  $39.95. 


Other  features  of  WRITE  NOW!  include: 

f 


•  program  on  cartridge  (time  not  [  ^m.,  \ 
wasted  loadingfromdiskortape)            _^ 

•  works  in  an  unexpended  VIC-20® 

•  savetexttotapeordlsk  I 

•  sendsany'speciarcodestothe  * 
printer—  even  in  the  middle  of  text 
(special  codes  are  'user-definable')  s^  a  compiete  line  of  American 

•  up  to  38k  of  text  storage — more  made  ^ dco  Products  at  a 
on-line  storage  than  any  other  word  computer  store  near  you,  today, 
processor  for  the  VlCr20® 


313  Mathewson  •  Wichita,  Kansas  67214  •  (316)  267-6525 


cardco,  inc. 


IF  PERSONAL  COMPUTERS 


A  personal  computer 
is  supposed  to  be  a 
computer  for  persons. 
Not  just  wealthy 
persons.  Or  whiz-kid 
persons.  Or  privileged 
persons. 

But  person  persons 

In  other  words,  all  the  persons  whom 
Apple,  IBM,  and  Radio  Shack  seem  to 
have  forgotten  about  (including,  most 
likely  you). 

But  that's  okay  Because  now  you  can 
get  a  high-powered  home  computer 
without  taking  out  a  second  mortgage 
on  your  home. 

It's  the  Commodore  64.  We're  not 
talking  about  a  low-priced  computer  that 
can  barely  retain  a  phone  number. 
We're  talking  about  a  memory  of  64K. 
Which  means  it  can  perform  tasks  most 


.|.,|..II,I,MI,I 


$1395    $999*    $1355 


APPLE*  lie  64K  TRS-80"  III  16K 

other  home  computers  can't.  Including 
some  of  those  that  cost  a  lot  more. 
(Take  another  look  at  the  three  comput- 
ers above.) 

By  itself,  the  Commodore  64  is  all 
the  computer  you'll  ever  need.  Yet,  if 
you  do  want  to  expand  its  capabilities 
some  day  you  can  do  so  by  adding  a 
full  complement  of  Commodore  pe- 
ripherals. Such  as  disk  drives.  Modems. 
And  printers. 

You  can  also  play  terrific  games  on 
the  Commodore  64.  Many  of  which 


IBM*PC64K 


A:.;.'" iQBSten   lUHl    '    ■■>  of  Aop<!>  CompUMl  .iv 

Tfi5  80  a  a  registered  trademark  of  Tandy  Corp  I6M  is  a  registered  trademark  of  IntomafNDnal  Bu&rwss  Machines  Corp 


will  be  far  more 
challenging  than 
those  you  could 
■    ever  play  on  a 
game  machine  alone 
And  as  great  as  alt 
this  sounds,  what's 
even  greater-sounding 
is  the  price.  It's  hundreds  of  dollars  less 
than  that  of  our  nearest  competitor. 

So  while  other  companies  are  trying 
to  take  advantage  of  the  computer 
revolution,  it  seems  to  us  they're  really 
taking  advantage  of  something  else: 
Their  customers. 

■MsnufaCIUTSftJ  BupMStod  Ast  PW*  I  .i5  of  March  20.  1963 
Momlor  mdudcrtwiifi  IRS  63  ill  only  Commodore  Bu  ml -v. 
Machines,  PO.  Box  500R  Conshohockoh,  PA  1942B, 
Canada-337D  Pharmacy  Avenue,  Ag.ncoun.  Ont..  Can  M1W  ?M 

f  Z  commodore 

COMPUTER